Power to the People: The Thirty-ninth Hunger Games
by LadyCordeliaStuart
Summary: Latest in a long line of SYOTs. Feel the power.
1. One Reaping

Jynx Susurrus POV

It was the best and worst day of my life. Years of backbreaking training and flawless excellence had led me to this moment, and I wished I was anywhere else. I _had_ to be ready, right? The Academy picked me. They told me I was a great fighter and I'd surely win. That was what I wanted more than anything- to be the best. But as I waited through the speech, I wished I had failed.

 _You're not the best. You're an idiot,_ I thought. Why else would I constantly risk injury and maiming for a chance to injure and maim people? I worked tirelessly for years for a chance to get picked to die. They told me I did a good job. I couldn't know they meant it. I knew I didn't fit in, and they had to know it, too. What if they lied all this time, and they only picked me to get rid of me?

I craned my neck to try to see Victory in the girls' section. I barely glimpsed her pale whitish hair at the end of a row. She was already in position to get to the stage as fast as possible, and I could see her muscles tensed to spring. She didn't have any of my insecurity. She knew how good she was. She was born for this, and she knew her purpose.

Philomena took the stage. She mixed things up sometimes, but this time she called the girl first. She Reaped Opal Cutter, a girl I didn't know. Of course Victory volunteered right away. She raised her hand and jumped forward as she did, like she was bursting with enthusiasm. The crowd was quieter than usual as she walked onstage. She took a confident stance and pretended she wasn't looking for me in the crowd.

"And now for the gentlemen!" Philomena said. "Nacre Carat!" My heart lurched and I did what I had to do.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I called. The boys around me cheered and punched my arm playfully.

"Go get 'em!" Ganache, a boy from the Academy, said. _Get ready to die,_ I thought.

Victory pretended to be surprised and pleased when I took my place next to her. She smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen, and Philomena loved it. Of course she didn't know that Victory didn't smile like that at all. She didn't have the toothy, wide smile of an enthusiastic model. When she smiled, usually after some witty and cutting remark, her lips thinned into a wicked and tight curl. This smile was as fake as Philomena's purple eyes.

Inivisible waves of resentment and disdain emanated from Victory as we held hands. I never hated her, really. It was just exhausting always competing with her. It was awkward enough she lived next door. Now we were going to die together, too. But then, Victory probably wouldn't. It was right there in her name. She was so good she got picked a year early. Word has it that I'm the favorite to win, but I know differently. I always did the best I could, but that wasn't enough in the Games. I had to do the best, and I suspected that spot was taken.

After my family had left, I took out my token and looked inside. It was a makeup compact from my mother. There was no powder inside, but the mirror remained. It was a strange choice, but I took it because it reflected me metaphorically as well as literally. On the outside, it was golden and perfect. People were always complimenting her on it when they saw it. But on the inside, it wasn't anything until someone looked at it. Then it changed to reflect them. That was all I was- a reflection.

* * *

Victory Delissa Amarinthine POV

 _I already have the goods. Now I need the crowd._ Not that winning over this bunch of half-wits was going to be difficult. This was District One, land of the ditzes. Outside of the Capitol, we were the spaciest bunch in Panem. Then, once I got to the heartland of brainlessness- the Capitol- it would only get easier. With my skills and their supplies, I'd win this Game easy.

I threw myself into my performance when I volunteered. _I just_ love _volunteering!_ I egged myself on in my head. _Oh boy, I get to kill people! Oh whoopee!_

It wasn't that I _didn't_ enjoy volunteering. I was genuinely excited and ready to start fighting. I just wasn't always as expressive as the crowd wanted. Better to be a ham than to be invisible.

After I took the stage, the only bad part of Reaping Day awaited. That would be Jynx. Stubborn, boring Jynx, who never did anything different. Jynx, who got the world handed to him on a platter. I had to claw my way up with constant vigilence and exhausting effort. He was just good at whatever you gave him. He was maddeningly casual and unenthusiastic. Nobody was _forcing_ him to do this, so why didn't he like it? The worst thing that could happen in the Games wasn't that I would die. It was that _he_ would kill me. And yet, as much as I hated him, I knew he wouldn't. District honor, you know. As traditional as he is.

I played the crowd every bit I could as I waited for Jynx. _Stupid wet blanket,_ I thought as I swished my skirt and waved. _Hope you die in the Bloodbath,_ I thought as I smiled and tittered. Philomena perked up and winked at me when she saw my enthusiasm. _Bimbo,_ I thought as I pretended to blush and looked away.

The sound of a thousand braying donkeys rent the air. Never mind, it was just Jynx volunteering. The stage darkened as he loomed next to me. The crowd saw me enthusastically take his hand, but they didn't see how I held it pinched as lightly as possible between two fingers. Philomena announced us and I dropped his hand, since I was just _so_ excited to get started and definitely didn't hate his guts.

The whole family trooped in to see me. I almost got lost in the mix, just like I did back home. There was Calix, the rich shopkeeper. Hale and Blaze, with their perfect wives and beautiful children. Kay, who was starting a business, and Mink, who had as many female friends as I didn't. Last of all there was me. I hadn't done anything yet, but this was my chance. Win or lose, at least I'd leave a mark. Naturally, though, I was going to win.

I barely got a word in before it was time for everyone to go. Then it was just me and my token. I'd chosen it very carefully, by which I meant I'd grabbed it off the kitchen table when I realized I'd forgotten a token halfway out the door. It was only the very coolest eraser ever. It was star-shaped and just generally awesome. Everyone was going to be jealous of my amazing token, just like they were going to be jealous of me.

* * *

 **I have both from One and Two, so I decided to get started.  
**

 **Oh dear. Nacre's parents didn't think very hard before they named him.**

 **I finally figured out that "maxmericashipper" is Maxon and America from The Selection. Can't get nothing past me.**


	2. Two Reaping

Ash Smith POV

I'd be happy to train all my life and never volunteer. Throwing around cool weapons and learning crazy gymnastic stunts was more fun than I imagined killing a bunch of people would be. If I wasn't at the Academy, I'd be doing stupid things anyway. Before I started officially training, I was a prizefighter in the streets to make ends meet. This way I got to do all the stuff I liked to do _and_ I got praised for it. It was a good racket.

I never really intended to volunteer. It must have been a lackluster year, because apparently I was the best. I was good and all, but I didn't think I was _that_ good. I would have let the number two guy take my slot, but the mayor let me know he'd be _very_ displeased if I wasted all the money he spent on my training. It seems weird that he sponsored some punk fistfighter, but rumor has it he's my father. Before he told me to volunteer, I was waiting for him to say something. After that, I only hoped it was just a rumor.

Except for that whole situation, it was a normal day at the Academy. The Reaping wasn't for another week and we all knew who was going anyway, so we were mostly cooling our heels. The runners-up who wanted my spots were eyeing me for weaknesses and trying to boost their scores at the last minute, but Jacob and I were more or less goofing off and tossing spears.

"Lucky you, off to see the Capitol," Jacob teased. He never had to fear the Games- not that I feared them, either. I was just unenthusiastic. In any case, Jacob was one of the students pushed into training by overbearing "training parents" who were determined to see their little warriors win. In Jacob's case... the spirit was not really willing and the flesh was also weak. If his parents weren't rich, the Academy would have thrown him out years ago.

"Whatever. At least it will be a rush," I said. Anything that got my blood going was what I lived for. Jacob got a wicked grin I'd seen countless times before and I knew we were about to do something stupid.

"Bet you can't catch this spear," he said.

"What, you think I'm stupid?" I asked.

"You know you're going to try," he said.

"Yeah, I am," I said. One of the more dedicated students, Thales, was listening in and ran to gather the others. Before Jacob was even in position, a crowd of students was clustered behind him, eager to see us kill ourselves.

"Ready?" Jacob asked.

"Ready!" I called. The crowd took in a breath as Jacob threw. I was ready for him to throw, but not ready for the spear to come straight at my face. I dodged my head and snatched the spear in the same move, and adrenaline rushed through me at the close shave. The other students cheered.

"What was that? You were supposed to throw at my arm!" I said to Jacob. He shrugged.

"Sorry. Missed," he said. But it didn't matter. I caught it. No worries at all.

* * *

Mary Ellen Westley POV

Breakfast is an important affair at the Westley house. Like my father says, "The brain can only make plans that the body can carry out." He has a saying for everything, from skipping class to wearing skirts. It was all I could get away with to wear my hair long. He made sure I never left the house without tying it into two no-nonsense braids.

"Is everything ready?" my father asked. He was as excited as I was that I was about to volunteer. He was always going on about glory and battle and all that. Me, I just wanted to see people get hurt. I was born in the right District.

"Ready," I said. Usually I made my own breakfast, but Dad got up early today to "send me off right". It didn't make any sense, since I wouldn't be fighting for another week, but he insisted. I had to eat eggs for protein, toast for long-lasting fat against the probable starvation I'd face, fortified orange juice for vitamins, and hash browns just because I liked them.

"Remember, this is an enormous opportunity," my father said. "Every girl in the District wants to be you."

 _Get in line,_ I thought. Those other students in the Academy could be really cute, like when they argued over who was getting picked. I didn't even bother to correct them. They found out in the end. The best part was seeing Miranda Jagpal react to me getting picked. She'd given me a lot of trouble along the way, but I came out ahead. At least she'll always have a scar on her arm to remember me by. And also a patch of hair that never grew back quite right. And a crooked toe. I'd have said there's always next year, but I didn't want to give her false hope. Maybe she could be an instructor at the Academy. A substitute, maybe.

"I know," I said.

"This is serious," he insisted. He sat down across the table and gave me that "stern and hopeful parent" look. "We're all rooting for you. Don't waste our time."

 _Waste our time? It's_ my _life on the line._ "Surely that is the best motivation I could have to not lose," I said with the sort of look only a surly teenager can give.

"Just make me proud, okay?" Dad said.

"I thought I did that years ago," I said. There was something weird about a father who was only proud of his daughter when she went off to die.

"You've improved a lot. I know you'll keep going up," he said. _Gee, thanks. Maybe someday you'll be proud of me. Unless I die, of course. Then you'll disown me at my funeral._

 _Know what? Screw you. I don't need you and I don't need anyone 'rooting' for me. I know what I am. I don't have to prove anything. If you don't see my worth, you can screw off with all the rest of them._

* * *

 **Mary Allen's scene felt short to me. Her requested scene was a simple breakfast one, and I think she'll grow more as the story goes along.**

 **I don't think I have the Three male yet, so I'll skip over that if he doesn't come before I next write.**


	3. Three Reaping

**Gizmo Torres POV**

 _Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night..._

I messed up on that one. I'd spent the last two weeks in a holding cell after a Peacekeeper saw my blueprints peeking out of my pocket. I wasn't even planning a rebellion or anything. I was just noting how easy it would be to build a bomb out of commonplace things in Three, _should_ one want to. That's how I got stuck in a six-by-six cell with nothing for company but bread, water, and the sound of dropping platforms.

Another one was about to drop as I watched out the window. It wasn't every day someone was executed. Rebellion was rare in Three- rare everywhere, I supposed. It wasn't often someone was bold enough to do something that could get them killed. But when they were, it always did. I couldn't see the man's face as he walked to the scaffolding, but his entire demeanor was defeated. It wasn't dignified so much as resigned. He didn't kick when the bottom fell out. I couldn't tell whether he died quickly or just didn't care.

My parents were probably more worried than I was. I'd been through all this before and knew the Capitol had bigger worries than a brat with some scribbles on a piece of paper. I hadn't intended to get caught, but I'd picked a good time to do so. The Reaping was tomorrow. I might have gotten more than two weeks in the cooler if they hadn't more or less had to let me out for that.

The Peacekeepers would be coming soon to escort me to the Reaping. I ate my scraps of bread and drank my water before they could come. If anything good came of this, it was that my family saved a serving of food for two weeks. We weren't poor, but every little bit helped, even with my father gone half the time on "business trips" that always seemed to take place at the home of some pretty woman.

Most of the Peacekeepers must have been busy maintaining order at the Reaping. When two came to get me, I recognized one from the execution. They all looked the same, of course, but this one was so tall he barely fit in the room. I didn't give them any trouble on the way out. Soon I'd be back with my family. I should have been more scared of the Reaping, but there were so many eligible children, and many of them took tesserae. The odds were in my favor.

* * *

 **Moddi Pex POV**

"Nothing will happen, right?" Tella asked me as we stood in line waiting to get pricked.

"No, they wouldn't pick us. There are so many names," I said. We were pressed against each other like we could hide from the Reaping and our names in the bowl.

"I only took two tesserae," Tella said. She looked at the others and tried to guess who had taken more.

"Some people don't take any," I said. Tella's eyes went wide and she started to breathe faster.

"Why would you say that? You think it'll be me?" she asked.

"No! I don't know why I said it! I just didn't think," I said. I always messed up when I tried to talk to people. Three was full of geniuses... and then there was me. It was too late to undo the damage, and I started to cry along with Tella. She ran away after her finger was pricked and joined the other seventeen-year-olds, leaving me alone.

 _It's okay. They won't pick you,_ I told myself as I waited through the speech. Most of the girls around me were silent, but one girl was wailing loud enough for everyone to hear. I shuddered and scrunched my eyes shut. If I just didn't think about it and didn't look, it would be over soon and I wouldn't die. I heard Bubbles start to talk and clenched my fists.

"Moddi Pex!" I heard. My eyes flew open and I gasped. I couldn't move or even think. I was going to die. I'd seen it happen over and over. Someone was going to kill me, or I'd die by myself, alone in the Arena. I wouldn't be here anymore. I'd be dead.

The moment passed, and I searched out my brother in the crowd. He was looking back at me and crying. I started to cry too, though I'd hardly stopped since Tella left. When a Peacekeeper came to shoo me onto the stage, I tried to grab on to him for comfort. He shoved me off and I almost fell as I reached the top step. Bubbles took my hand to announce me and I didn't want to let go. I wanted her to stay with me and keep me safe. She had to shake me off so the Peacekeepers could take me backstage.

Nobody knew what to say. I tried to keep talking to my family, but the Peacekeepers dragged them away. When Tella came, she said I needed a token. Nobody had thought to bring anything, since we never let ourselves think it might be me. She took a red clip out of her hair and gave it to me. I clutched it after she left, when I was all alone. Soon I'd be buried with it.

* * *

 **I've been trying to make my writing longer, but I realized that for Reapings, the most important thing is establishing personality, so they don't have to be so long.**


	4. Four Reaping

Maris Calder POV

Everyone in Four liked the sea, so when I went to the salt lake behind our village, it was like my own private ocean. I'd gotten up extra early, or more accurately I hadn't been able to sleep any longer. I knew I was capable, but there were always doubts in a Game with such long odds. It felt good to do something I was certain I could do, like catch fish. They tasted better when they were fresh and caught with my own hands. With each fish I reeled in, I imagined another opponent falling before me, until I was the only one left. I cleaned my catches and took them home for breakfast.

My mother finished frying the last of the fish while my father said a word over the meal. The next few minutes were quiet as we savored the first bites. Then my father had to go and ruin it.

"Another Reaping Day. Someone out there is going to lose a daughter. I can't imagine that kind of pain," he said. It wasn't what he said so much as how he said it. He looked at me pointedly, not fearfully. It wasn't a lament. It was an accusation.

"Yeah, it would sure be hard for _you_ if I died. Lucky _I_ won't be affected, you selfish tyrant!" I burst. Normally I tried to keep things civil, but he'd crossed a line. We _never_ dicussed the Games in front of my little brother Toby. He wasn't supposed to know about that yet. It also galled me that he would mention pain. He didn't even want me. My mother had to beg for years before he agreed to have children.

"Maris!" my mother scolded. I threw open the door and ran out of the house onto our porch. I heard scuffling and dishes rattling inside.

"She _trained_ for this. She's a sadistic brat," my father said, not bothering to lower his voice. My mother said something unclear as she tried to soothe him. Someone opened the door behind me as I pulled on my boots for the Reaping. I tensed, but it was just Toby.

"Bye, Maris. When you come back can we go out in the boat?" he asked. He hugged me while I was still kneeling with my boot and kissed my cheek. I hugged him back absentmindedly.

"Sure," I said. I didn't really have to be nervous. My name was only on six slips and there were plenty of better students in the Academy.

My casual goodbye came back to haunt me while my mother was crying over me. My name was only in there six times. There were other students. So why didn't they volunteer? Did they think I could win? Or did they just chicken out. I couldn't believe I was holding a wooden fish on a slender string, and I couldn't believe it was my father who gave it to me.

"I got this when I was twelve," he said. "In case I ever got Reaped." He was as cold as ever. He shook my hand and walked away.

"Why didn't you bring Toby?" I asked my mother. I wanted to give him a real goodbye, not a brushoff.

"I didn't want to scare him. I didn't want to think about what might happen," she managed to say. I wanted to cry along with her, but I knew she was right. She told me they were going to visit my grandparents for a while, and I was glad he'd be distracted for what was coming.

My mother was only crying gently. She was trying to hold it together for me. Once she got home, everything was going to fall apart. I could cry after she was gone, but until then, I had to be there for her. I couldn't be scared or unconfident. I had to make her think I'd win.

"I love you," she said over and over again. I responded every time in even tones, even though I wanted to grab her and never let go. When the door shut between us, we both fell apart.

* * *

 **Floki Grimm POV**

At first, my parents didn't want to let me train. I had to tell them that it was because of everything we believed in. We knew that life was fleeting but valor was forever. Entry to Valhalla is limited to those who die in battle, and I was ready to take my place at that table. Of course I intended to win, but doing that would also earn me my spot. After that they were proud to see me grow stronger. The night before the Reaping came, and we prepared the ritual.

We chose to do the ritual outside, under the stars and in the sight of Odin. We walked in single file to a silent stretch of beach, carrying torches to light our way. My father etched runes in the sand with his finger while my mother washed out a bowl with salt water and dipped a slender dagger into it. My brother Bjorn began to prepare his mind for battle. He tensed his muscles until he began to vibrate. The veins in his eyes filled with blood and liquid trailed from his mouth.

"Odin. Odin. Odin," he chanted. I echoed him and felt Hermóðr's spirit welling inside me, calling me into battle. I felt like Bjorn and I were one- even though he couldn't fight with me in flesh, his spirit would be beside me. The mushrooms we'd eaten before we left took effect, and my mind cleared of everything but the war before me. My fingers locked into fists and I bared my teeth and foam flecked my lips. I was a feral animal, looking only for something to kill. If Eir had not hovered around me, reminding me that the figures in front of me were my parents, I would have torn them apart. My father completed the runes and began to read them out loud. My mother held the knife to the stars, presenting it to Odin and the Valkyries.

"R **ó** di hreda, Rodi hjarta. Vallow bl **ó** t agh snida partt. Svirirota Odin, Svirirota Freya. Kürga, Vaalra, Hána, Auki. Brog üllr til sinn fatir. Valkyrja, ver freista ek. Her vessa Floki Asgersun. Greita hann til tv _ **êi**_ r hana. Ekki Fólkvangr. Reita hánn Válhalla. Válhalla!" he called. His normally soft voice filtered through my frenzy, and it was guttural and harsh. The berserker rage spiked with his final shout and faded as I prepared for the rest of the ritual.

 _Ready battle, ready heart. Wallow in blood and tear the enemy. Bless us Odin, Bless us Freya. Courage, valor, honor, victory. Bring us glory to our ancestors. Valkyries, bless us. Here is Floki Asgersun. Grant him your reward. Not Falkvangr. Grant him Valhalla. Valhalla!_

My mother had been motionless through all this. She lowered her arm slowly in a stiff arc, echoing the movement of a eviscerating stroke. She stood over the bowl and held the knife to her pale arm. She drew the blade across the skin.

"Bl **ó** t ef motir," she said as the blood began to flow. It ran down her arm and spattered into the white clay bowl, staining its surface.

She walked to my father, carrying the bowl, and set it down next to him. He stretched out his arm and she repeated the motion. "Bl **ó** t ef fatir."

Bjorn was the third. His blood added to the tiny pool and it deepened. "Bl **ó** t ef brotir."

Finally, she came to me, and I felt my soul stirring with purpose. The bloodstained blade dug into my arm and I thrilled at its sharp pain. This was what I was made for. My mother stirred the blood with her hand and it held the bowl over her head.

"Bl **ó** t ef rauta, reita hreda." _Blood of family, grant us battle._ She tilted the bowl and threw the blood on my face. I felt its warmth as it ran down my skin and I exalted in it. I faced the stars and presented myself to the gods. The battle spirit burst within me and I yearned to bring them sacrifice. N **ó** tt regarded me in the darkness, and I knew they approved of me.

* * *

 **For Floki's ceremony, I used all the Norse words I could find. The rest are made up words that are mostly just harsher spellings of the English words, so have fun picking those out. The diacritical marks are correct where I could find them, and the rest are scattered around to make it look cooler.**


	5. Five Reaping

**The next full District I had was Five.**

* * *

Lyra Axelle POV

Everyone in the District wanted to be me. And I wanted to be everyone else. Life stinks, don't it?

"So the slope is 3.4. Is that easier to understand?" my mother asked. _No, it's not._ I wasn't even listening. I was never going to be good at algebra or the other things they tried to teach me. What I most wanted to learn was how to be like the other kids, but I couldn't do that if I was homeschooled. My father, the illustrious mayor of District Five, said it wouldn't do to have me go to school. He said all the publicity and papparazzi would hurt my grades, since I was doing _so_ well at home. I'd have dropped out last year, but you can't drop out of your own home.

"Are you listening?" my mother asked. I was looking out the window at all the people below. They were all so normal, just going about their business. They were poor and I knew that must be hard, but at least they had each other. What they _didn't_ have was a crowd of shutterbugs following them around looking to catch the mayor's daughter in a juicy scandal.

"Yeah, 3.4," I said to get her off my back. "Whatever. You can just give up." I stood up and ran out of the kitchen and upstairs to my room. My mother called after me and I ignored her. _Stupid nag,_ I thought. _Leave me alone._

I resumed my illicit people-watching after I shut the door behind me. I wondered if I could sneak out the window without getting caught. Not when it was so light out, but maybe at night. I could run away and live on the streets like the other people. I'd be dirty and poor and I wouldn't be spoiled anymore. I'd always dreamed of getting out of Five. Sometimes I imagined that I fell in love with a visiting Capitolite and he married me and took me away. I even thought about committing a crime just so I could be a Capitol Avox. But that wouldn't look good for my father.

Mom knocked on my door.

"What?!" I said.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Fine," I said. She opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"Spark called. There's going to be another formal this Sunday. They're going to give your father a commendation, and he wants you to be there."

 _Cute little Lyra singing her daddy's praise,_ I thought. They dragged me from one event to another to wring all the votes out of me. All I ever wanted was quiet and they made my life a circus.

"Yeah. It'll be fun," I sneered. I looked back out the window until Mom left, and finally I had some peace.

* * *

Gabriel Farad POV

Trust in Allah, but tie your camel. Pity everyone else never learned that.

Nobody suspects the dirty little street kid dancing for a few pennies. They saw he was good and tossed him a few coins. They didn't see him lean in and snatch a wallet here and there. It was my only vice. Other than that, I was a good little boy. I even gave ten percent of my loot to the poor.

When I was done, I washed off all the grime I'd smeared on myself and went back home. I wasn't a street kid at all. I had parents who loved me and as nice a home as most people in Five. My father waved at me when I came inside.

 _Hello! Now the house is brighter,_ my father signed. I could read lips enough that people didn't even have to know I was deaf, but signing felt like my native language and I preferred it. My mother, who was cutting bread, looked up and smiled. She left the slices on a plate and followed us to the eastern wall of the house. It was noon, and that meant it was time to pray.

I always felt extra special when I prayed. My crescent and star necklace bounced against my bent knees and I was reminded of our people's long history. The government wasn't big on religion in Panem, but we'd never die out. We'd lived through centuries of war and oppression, and we'd be here forever. We finished and stood back up.

Usually I'd have been in school or at work, but it was President Galba's birthday, so we had the day off. She also sent a free tesserae for every family in the District, just to make sure we knew how generous she was. It must have really taxed her pockets to give us that bag of nasty grain.

I felt the floor vibrate and knew someone was at the door. I ran past my father and opened it to reveal Felix, one of my classmates.

"Helllllo Gaaaabriel," he said. He was certain that reading lips was much harder than it was. "Can yyyyou commmme out to play?" I nodded. I probably could have learned to talk with a little practice, but I knew I'd sound funny, even if I didn't know what "funny" sounded like. They'd just treat me different anyway. They mean the best, but I can take care of myself.

 _I'll tell my parents,_ I signed. I turned back to them and signed so quickly Felix couldn't keep up. _Be back before evening. Felix needs to learn how to talk, doesn't he?_ Mom and Dad laughed, and I snickered mentally at the joke poor Felix would never get. I can take care of myself, and people who can't figure that out get burned.

* * *

 **As I wrote Lyra, I realized I always make the Tributes nice. No matter how many flaws they have, I always smooth them out. Well, no more. Some people are just plain brats.  
**


	6. Six Reaping

Byke Sainz POV

Reaping Day was just like any other day for me. I didn't have to worry about things like that. I never volunteered because I didn't feel like it, but I knew I'd win if I did. I was trying to get a last bit of sleep when my father burst into the room.

"Byke! Time to get up," he said. I rolled over against the wall and groaned.

"I got it! Ugh," I said. They were always on my back. I got out of bed- because I was ready, not because they told me to- and threw on some clothes. My mother tried to hug me as I went out the door, and I squirmed away.

"Mom! I'll be right back," I said. She and Dad huddled together in th kitchen like there was something to be afraid of. They don't know what I'm capable of.

I kept an eye out for Arun on the way to the Reaping Center, and I found him as I was getting my finger pricked. I glared at the assistant when she shoved the needle in, then stood next to my friend. He was the only one who ever hung out with me. The others were too stupid to keep up with me, and they weren't worth my time.

The whole Reaping was a waste of time, but Otho was the worst part. Every year he got older, but he refused to acknowledge it. He wore the same tight pants and frilly shirts he'd worn in the replays I'd seen of Games ten years ago. He was a strutting fop and I counted the seconds until he was gone. This year he started with the ladies. I smirked when he called Ree's name. Everyone knew her. She was the mayor's ungrateful adopted daughter. She spent her time either moping around or pretending to angelically help the poor. Her Reaping caused wonderful chaos, too. She screamed and cried, and her mother fainted on the sidelines. It made me want to laugh. But that all changed when Otho read the next name.

"Byke Sainz!"

I plastered a tough-guy look on my face and stomped onto the stage, pointing out Ree to the audience as if to say _Look at this baby. I'm not like her._ Inside, I felt just like her. That sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen to me. I was _special._

My parents made a terrible fuss backstage. They cried and wailed and carried on something horrible. They wouldn't even leave until the Peacekeepers dragged me away, and Mom had to toss my token, a necklace she'd been planning to sell, from the doorway. I could have told them I was going to win. The more I shivered and trembled, the more I repeated it to myself.

* * *

Ree Morning POV

There's too much pain in Six. Not really for me- my life was easy after the mayor took me in. Most of our trouble came from a commodity that wasn't even ours. We didn't make morphling. It just came through our railroads and inside of our transportation. It seeped into our homes and families and tore them apart, like it did to mine. I would rather die of pain than use it.

A pricked finger barely hurt at all. It would hurt worse to see who they would pick to die. I never expected it to be me. I was only thirteen, and far too rich to need tesserae. When I heard my name, I thought I must have imagined it. I only knew it was real when the Peacekeepers took my arms and pulled me onstage. Everything around me seemed surreal, from my mother on the ground to my father screaming in the face of the Peacekeeper posted at the edge of the Reaping Center. My eyes fell onto the boys' section, and I finally saw something that moved me.

"Peyton!" I screamed. He'd been gone for two years, ever since the social workers moved us into separate group homes. I'd begged my adopted parents to take him, too, but they never listened. My joy at seeing him was shattered when I noticed he was standing in the delinquent section. That's why I'd never been able to find him. He'd been in juvenile prison.

I clawed at the Peacekeepers holding me and strained to run to him. They weighed me down like chains and didn't let go until they'd thrown me backstage into a room in the Justice Hall. I hoped to see him when the door opened, but my parents came in alone. My mother was wailing and screeching horrible noises as she grabbed at me, and my father shoved the Peacekeeper guarding me back a step.

"This is unacceptable. I want this fixed _immediately,"_ he said. The Peacekeeper didn't even flinch.

"No special treatment," he said. My father kept arguing, but I could barely hear over my mother's wails.

"Why didn't you tell me about Peyton?" I demanded.

"Worry about more important things! You're going to die!" my mother said. My lip trembled and I started to cry.

"That's enough. Out," the Peackeeper said. He signaled for help and two more of them came and they all dragged my parents out. My mother screamed the whole way and reached out her arms for me.

After that, seeing Kylo couldn't be any harder. He stumbled over his words, like he didn't know what to say first. I knew what he was aiming at, and I stopped him before he got there.

"I know what you're going to say. Maybe if things were different. But they're not. Let's just be together as friends- no awkwardness. I don't want to remember you as stuttering, after all." I didn't trust myself to speak more after that. I cracked a sad smile and Kylo followed suit. He slipped a bracelet onto my wrist. It was a simple, gray circlet of woven steel. Wherever I went, it would remind me of him.

Later, the Peacekeeper handed me a diamond pin, saying it was from my mother. It was a beautiful token, but I knew what I'd be wearing in the Capitol. I wanted to be the best I could be, apart from anything my parents had achieved. Their diamonds couldn't save me. I was on my own.

* * *

 **If you want to pick a picture for the blog, make sure to send a face claim to TranscendentElvenRanger. The link is**  
 **powe rtothepeo plehgsyot. blogspot .com**

 **I added Apollo Wilson to One Shot at Victory. Suffice to say it's a most gratifying chapter.**

 **PrinceofCorinth still needs a few Tributes for "** **Nobody's Gotta Know: Hungers Games XII SYOT". Since I have skin in the Game (Two Tributes) I want them to get filled so I can read more.  
**


	7. Seven Reaping

**Hooray, I get to do another Reaping! It's my own fault it took so long, since I messed up the submissions, but I least I got the right ones, I think...**

* * *

Zetan Thompson POV

The bland porridge me and my family were eating was bought with another slip in the bowl with my name on it. I was the only one in the tesserae age range, so it was up to me to feed us all. Everyone else must have been thinking the same thing, since none of them spoke. It was so disturbing I couldn't eat, and I left for the Reaping early.

The littler boys scuttled out of my way as I walked, at least the ones that noticed me. Even if I was the town bully, for most of them I wasn't as scary as the Reaping. I didn't expect any trouble on such a perilous day, so I nearly fell forward when someone shoved me from behind.

"Hey. You been giving my little brother trouble again?" I heard Switch's voice and turned around. Switch was a year older than me, and his little brother Paul was my age. Usually if someone accused me of picking fights they'd be right, but in this case, Paul actually started it. He was slinging those old, tired insults about my mother and sister. How is it there are a thousand ways to insult a man, but all men use the same accusation against women?

"We can take care of this later. If we're both still here," I said, and I kept walking. I hoped Switch didn't press it, and I was glad when he glared and turned away. I didn't want to beat anyone else up. I only did it when I had to.

The other kids used to think the boy who bullied them so ruthlessly wasn't afraid of anything. They found out who I really was when Mariposa called my name. I screamed and cried and dragged at the ground. I pulled at anyone around me and I proved what a coward I was.

"I don't want to go!" I screamed as they held me onstage. I clenched my fists until my palms bled and knew there would be no volunteers for me.

Only my family came to visit me. After they were gone I was alone with my token. It was the weirdest token, too. I found out my mother had saved all my baby teeth when she pulled one from her pocket dangling from a string. It was gross feeling it against my neck, but I couldn't say no to her. Mothers can be so strange.

There wasn't a single good thing to fixate on. I was going to the Games and I was most likely going to die. I wasn't as strong as the Careers or as smart as past Victors. The worst part came when I thought of how I'd be remembered. Usually the whole District mourned when our Tributes fell. But no one would miss me. When I died, the other children would cheer. I was worse than the Capitol.

I didn't mean to be like this. It was the old story, cycled endlessly for ages past and future. Other kids picked on me and kicked me around until I'd had enough. I started hitting back, relishing to control it gave me to make them hurt as much as I had. I'd wondered now and then about what kids would take over for me and what new bullies I'd spawned. Maybe it was for the best that I was going away.

* * *

Juniper "Junie" Brett POV

Life could be beautiful. There were so many wonderful things in the world, and so many things to experience. Even in Panem, I loved life. I loved our forests and my friends. I liked making pretty things and knowing I'd made the world a tiny bit prettier. But there was no life in Panem on Reaping Day. Reaping Day was Death Day.

If our mentor had worn beautiful Capitol dresses like some of them did, the Reaping would have one bright moment. But Mariposa always wore tight-fitting garments and there was hardly anything there. She wasn't even wearing clothes this year. She was just covered in brown paint decorated with swirls of green glitter and sequins. She didn't look pretty, like our trees. She looked fake.

She called the boys first. When I heard Zetan's name, I actually relaxed, and then I cursed myself for it. He was a bully and we were better off without him, but he still didn't deserve this. I should have still mourned his loss. I couldn't bring my heart to feel what my mind knew, and the satisfaction inside me came from vengeance, not justice.

I got my just desserts when Mariposa called the next name. When I heard her say it, my eyes widened but I didn't see. I tilted forward and two Peacekeepers ran to catch me. I darted between their legs and started to run, but I couldn't go on. I knew they'd catch me anyway, and someone else might get hurt. When they approached me, I waved them off and went to the stage myself. I didn't need their bloody hands on me.

I didn't dare cry when my parents came to see me. I could tell my mother was teetering on the edge of total breakdown, and my father didn't need any more pain either. I told them I would be all right, even though it was useless. My skin was tight and I knew my face gave me away. My parents had seen the tight smile, the puffy nose, and the fake upward tilt in my eyes before. I wasn't fooling anyone.

"River made it really far last year," I said in a voice far too chipper and even to be anything but a sham. "Maybe I'll make her my role model and chop off my hair." My mother laughed and couldn't stop. It was so funny she and Dad were both crying when they left.

My friends Brent and Rowan came next. Brent was crying and Rowan held my hand like she would never let go. I said the first thing that came to mind.

"Good luck. Stay safe."

"Shouldn't we tell you that?" Brent said in a thin voice, and he smiled through his tears. The Peacekeepe banged on the door to signal time was almost up.

"Goodbye for... however long it is. I'll try," I said. Why couldn't I say _I'll win?_


	8. Eight Reaping

Arter "Omega" Wire POV

Wires, pistons, programs... there's much more variety than people think when they think of factories. Most of us in Eight have the conventional factory jobs like unwinding yarn and cutting fabric. Most of our electronics stuff it outsourced to Three, but sometimes we have problems that need to be fixed but aren't big enough to haul in an expert from another District. That's where I come in.

I was always a bright student. I thought I was born in the wrong District, but there's a place for me here. The powers that be noticed my exotic skills and separated me into specialized classes to prepare me for technical work in the factory. While most of my schoolmates learned the most basic math and science and spent the rest of their time in the factories, me and three other students learned about why the factories work in the first place.

"The factories in Eight work on alternating current, or AC," our teacher said. We looked down at the wires in front of us. Most of them were coated with rubber in various colors, but a few were naked.

"In case of an emergency, simply break the circuit with a single, simple cut," the teacher continued. "Just _be sure_ to use an insulated material, such as rubber-handled scissors."

We all bent over our desks to practice. The teacher flipped a switch and I heard electricity humming through the wires. I took my scissors and rested my hand against the largest wire, which was blue. I opened the blades-

 _SNAP!_ Sharp energy jolted through my arm and flung me back. My muscles clenched until they felt like they'd snap. Everything went black and cold.

Something was crushing my chest. It pounded my ribs, then let up for a minute. My hand felt raw and hot. Air rushed into my mouth, and I forced my eyes open. My teacher was crouched over me blowing into my mouth. She pressed my chest once more before she saw I was awake.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I think so," I said. I was so confused I didn't know what to do.

"What day is this?" she asked.

"The fifth?" I said.

"Follow my finger," she said. She waved it in front of my eyes and I watched it. She helped me to my feet and I saw the other three students were clustered in the corner staring at me. One of them was crying.

"It's all right," the teacher said to them. "Class is dismissed for the day. We've had enough excitement. Arter, I'll come home with you and tell your parents what happened. We'll stop my the nurse and take care of your hand."

Everything started to come back into focus. I must have brushed a live wire. My finger was missing a patch of skin and the flesh seemed curled back. _I could have died._ I almost did. I could have died just like that. I'd never had to be afraid of death before. It was always far away. Right then I learned how close death was. It was as easy as flipping a switch.

* * *

 **Silver Flower POV**

Reaping Day. It was supposed to be like reaping grain, like the Capitol was "reaping" the best of us to be with them. In the Districts, we knew what it meant. It meant the Grim Reaper. The Reaper took two of us and we never came back.

I'd been to five Reapings. I cowered in fear with the others as we all hoped the name on the slip was anything but ours. We'd have sent our best friends or our sisters if it meant we were safe. This would be my last one. I wrapped my arms around myself and shuddered as the tape began.

I never like Remus. It wasn't that he did anything to upset me. I knew the Games weren't his idea. I'd always been afraid of adults, especially men. They didn't seem to realize how much stronger they were than girls. Any one of them could do whatever they wanted with me, and that was the way it would always be. He Reaped the boy first, and he called for Arter Wire. He looked younger than me, and I didn't know him. He looked very brave for someone about to die.

What happened next surprised me. I'd been waiting for Remus to read the next name, and I felt the hate I could never express threatening to boil over. Every year two of us die. We mourn and we wail, but no one ever stops it. No one does the one thing they could do to save a life.

"Paisley Kruse!" Remus called. A girl stepped out of the line in front of me. She was crying and she was hunched so far forward she looked almost like she was crawling. She stood beside Remus and looked out at us without hope.

 _It's not right,_ I thought. _No matter how many times it happens, it's not right. So stop them. Do something. Show greater love. Don't let her die. It's not right._

"Do we have any volunteers?" Remus asked. That's when I surprised myself.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I yelled. The girls around me pulled back like I wanted to take them with me. As soon as I did it, I realized what it meant for me, but something higher than fear drove me. Even though I was trembling and felt like I was going to faint, I walked up next to Remus. Paisley ran off the stage the second I was done speaking, and I was alone with our escort. Up close, it was easier to see how old he was, but he was still scary.

"What a brave girl," Remus said. "Please, tell us your name."

"Silver Flower," I said. I'd just done the most selfless and stupid thing anyone in Panem could do. Even though I knew what it meant, I was glad.

* * *

 **I had some questions about reservations. I hold spots until I'm finished with all the Reapings I can do. Then I'll put a last warning in the final Reaping, and if the Tributes don't show up in about two days I give the spots away.**

 **The forum's at** **forum/LadyCordeliaStuart-Hunger-Games-SYOT-Forum/184107/ if anyone's having trouble finding it.**


	9. Eleven Reaping

Austin Dallas POV

Somehow, I always knew this was going to happen. It was like there was a curse on the Dallas name. First my brother's best friend Zach got Reaped. Of course that was worse for him than us, but Jay took it hard. Then Jay got Reaped and I watched my brother die once. After he died, his girlfriend Flora committed suicide and since Jay was supposed to be the next mayor, all of Eleven was turned upside down. Later, Jay and Zach made history by being the first boys from Eleven (along with a few others) to die not once, but _twice_ in the Hunger Games. The only silver lining was the chance for future resurrections, but I had the feeling two-time losers would become three-time losers with our luck.

I'd done what I could in Jay's absence. It was a huge risk to so much as look at a Peacekeeper the wrong way, but they couldn't see everything. I played Russian Roulette every time I snitched a pear or poached a rabbit with my spear, but so far the Dallas curse had ignored that part of my life. We had enough to eat and life went on, though it would never be the same without Jay.

Sometimes I thought about volunteering. What stopped me was my duties at home. I had to take care of the family and most likely I'd end up mayor like Jay was supposed to be. Everyone was so eager to take me as a memorial, it wouldn't have mattered if I was a terrible politician. As far as I knew I was actually a decent one, though I can't judge myself.

So in the end, it didn't surprise me when Snapdragon called my name. It was like deja vu. I had the feeling this was always meant to be and that I'd done it before. Jay and I were so alike I sometimes felt like his ghost. I knew sometimes our mother turned away when she saw my face. I was a reminder of the most painful thing in our life. Even my token was his- his old jaybird necklace. We took it off his dead neck. Mine might be next. I wondered about my little brother Colt back home, and my girlfriend Fauna. Was it going to happen all over again?

I'd known it was coming so long I'd prepared for it. I knew exactly what I was going to do if I won. When _I won,_ I tried to convince myself. With my prize money, I could fix my broken family, at least the parts that money could fix. After the Resurrection Games, I knew the Capitol had the technology to bring my brother back. They'd have to listen to the new Victor and grant him his wish. If they didn't, I could wait until the next Resurrection Games and lay on the pressure then. Even if they didn't vote for Jay, I could convince them to add one more Tribute. I could break the Dallas Curse. All I had to do was win.

* * *

Delilah Clementine POV

I heard the most beatiful thing in my life the day my mother died. My father spent the tiny death pittance on a group of singers for her. The moment I heard them, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I watch them in rapture, like I was seeing the angels come to take her away. The day after that, I took the handful of coins I had leftover from my field work and asked them to teach me. It wasn't enough, of course, but they took me on anyway. For eight years they taught me, and I put together a tiny choir in school to practice more. Our next concert was tomorrow, the day after the Reaping. It seemed like we were jinxing ourselves, but I wanted to push on and be optimistic. We'd all be here, and we'd sound great.

It was our last rehearsal. I didn't let anyone in but the singers. I'd never been confident about my singing. Years of teaching couldn't add to my natural talent, and I'd always feared I was a terrible singer and the others couldn't bear to tell me. When it came time for my solo, I closed my eyes and pretended no one else was there.

We were always careful to keep our songs lighthearted and non-rebellious, but everything had a hidden meaning. My father said our people did the same thing long ago, back before the Dark Ages when the Districts kept people as slaves. The song we picked was onstenibly about the changing seasons. The lyrics talked about how the cold came in and the plants withered, and how things used to better before, in the springtime. It was a mournful song, and I tried to think of sad things when I sang it. Mostly, I thought of my mother.

Everyone was quiet when I stopped. _I didn't do good,_ I thought. I'd stepped forward for my solo, so everyone else was behind me. I peeked behind my back to get the worst over with. The other five singers were staring at me. One of them, Mallow, was crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That was so good. You're amazing," Tilda said. I blushed.

"Oh. Uh, thanks. I think everything went well. We should be ready for the real thing," I said. It creeped me out that everyone was looking at me, so I grabbed my stuff and ran home.

"You're late," my father said when I walked in. "Did you have detention again?" My father always supported me, but I was never brave enough to tell him about my singing. I wasn't _good_ enough yet. What if he saw me and wasn't impressed?

"No," I said, but I quickly corrected myself. "Not exactly. The principal wants to meet with you the day after tomorrow, after school hours. He says to bring Quince, too." Even when I was inviting them to my concert, I couldn't bear to say that was what it was. My father sighed.

"I don't know what's gotten into you. I'll have to take the day off work..." he said. "All right. But we're going to get to the bottom of this."

My heart was racing as I put my things away. My father and brother were about to find about what all those "detentions" really were. It would have been less scary if I really had been misbehaving.

* * *

 **That's the last full District I have. I realize I update fast and people have lives, so I can hold the reserved spots for a bit. I need the following users to either send in their Tributes, tell me they intend to but are busy at the moment, or tell me they don't want their spots. In two days, I'll give away one spot from anyone who has two, and two days after that I'll reopen the spots.**

 **The SEVEN MALE slot has been returned and is open.**

 **Madam Pepper Potts: Four female and Nine Female**

 **Thebigpig: Nine Male**

 **Venerated Art: Ten Male**

 **Primaryfocus: Twelve Female**

 **There's also the possibility I mislabeled these slots, in which case the users involved can just tell me I messed up.**

 **Once the slots are reopened I intend to show preference to submitters with no other slots so as many people who want to participate can, but other than that I pretty much take the first submission.**


	10. Twelve Reaping

Nubu Sanders POV

I was just putting the last load of coal on the train when Harvo showed up. I never knew when to expect him- he never had a steady job and he played hooky half the time. It was a good thing my parents had _one_ responsible son. At least he didn't come in the middle of my shift this tme.

"Eyyyy Nubu! Working hard or hardly working?" Harvo called. _Never heard_ that _one before._ "Better not mess up! Panem will run out of coal!"

"I'll do my best," I said. "I suppose you came here just to cheer me up?"

"Of _course!_ Why else? Except... there _is_ this girl. See, I'm between paychecks, but you gotta treat a girl right, you know? I thought my good ol' brother could spot me a little something. What do you say?" Harvo asked. I slammed the last bag of coal into the bin and turned around.

"Who is it this time? That cute girl from class? Or is it the one you saw in the market the other day? If you want to change girlfriends and quickly as you change clothes, you should get your own job," I said. Harvo glared and put his hands on his hips.

"It's not my fault all your girlfriends cheat on you," he said. That was a low blow. I still wasn't over Barley, as much as I said I was through with women. I could have as many women as Harvo did if I just wanted cheap fun. Unlike him, I actually cared about their feelings. I was about to say something back when someone interrupted us.

"Nubu! You weren't at school. I came to see if you were all right," Grain said. Immediately my witty retort flew from my mind and all I could think about was her. Grain was gorgeous and sweet and funny... she was everything a man could have wanted. For her, I'd take up women again. Unfortunately, she only had eyes for my twin. I was so close, but so far away.

"Uh, yeah, I'm okay," I stuttered. "I just took up some overtime." I turned away and pretended I wasn't staring at her.

"Hey Harvo," Grain said. Her voice slid up in pitch and lilted like she was trying to serenade him. She smiled like she never smiled for me.

"Hey Grain. I gotta go. See you round," he said, and he ran off to beg money off someone else. Grain's face crumpled and I felt her pain inside me. She didn't deserve that. She wasn't like Barley- she didn't cheat and break people's hearts. No one should break her heart either.

Harvo didn't see Grain for what she really was. He didn't appreciate her affection and worst of all, he didn't return it. He didn't know what he was missing. _I_ saw it. I only wished I had a girl half as good as Grain. If she ever gave me a second look, I'd treat her the way she deserved. Harvo didn't know what he was missing. Someday he was going to find out, and it would be too late.

* * *

 **Alinta Fintan POV**

I'll never understand what makes a bully pick his target. I never did anything to Boetius. I wasn't in competition with him and I didn't get in his way. I didn't even react the way bullies like. I didn't cry or run for help or even fight back. It was just part of life. I could deal with one bully and still have a good life. The greatest victory I could have over Boetius was to be happy when he so obviously didn't want me to be.

"Bet it's your name in the bowl. You're in there a lot, aren't you, Seam trash? Bet you're so poor half the slips are yours. You gonna cry when they call you? Baby," Boetius taunted as Annia and I tried to walk to the Reaping. Usually a girl as young as Annia would stay home and hide, but it was actually less scary for her to come along. Mom and Dad were a mess, and this way she could see me and didn't have to count the seconds until I should have been home. When we got to the Reaping Center, she'd wait outside with the other few kids her age. I looked at her sidelong and put on a goofy face.

"I know you are but what am I?" Sometimes the old standards are the best. More than anything, I didn't want Annia to see how scared I was. I _did_ have a lot of slips in the bowl. I had nine, in fact. Things were hard in the Seam and we still barely had enough to eat. There were a lot of people in Twelve, but there was still that chance I'd get picked. And I knew what would happen if I did. No twelve-year-old had ever won in almost forty years. Of course, if they _did_ pick me, I'd do my best to change that. Maybe no one my age had ever won, but I'd never competed yet.

"I _said_ you're a baby!" Boetius said.

"I know you are but what am I?" Annia giggled and Boetius' face flushed.

"You're a _baby!"_

"I know you are but what am I?"

"You're a stupid crybaby!"

"I know you are but what am I?"

"A useless whiny baby!"

"I know you are but what am I?"

"Are you stupid? Why do you keep saying that? You're a baby! Did you hear me this time?!"

"I know I am but what are you?" I said. Annia looked up at the change and then smiled like we had a secret. She looked at Boetius and waited eagerly for his response.

" _Helpless,_ that's what!" he yelled.

"If you say so," I said. He paused and I could almost see the smoke pouring from his ears as he realized. He actually growled like a dog and stomped away.

"Get reaped, baby," he called over his shoulder. Annia waved as he left, and I felt better even if we _were_ going to the Reaping. There are a lot of bad things in life, but I wasn't going to let them bring me down. I chose to have a happy life, and that was that. If I could deal with Boetius, I could deal with anything. Nothing could stop me.

* * *

 **The only Reaping left is Ten. I have the Ten male marked for VeneratedArt but I think I messed up. If**

 **VENERATEDART**

 **Reserved the Ten male and wants to submit him, please let me know in the next two days. If I don't hear anything, I'll assume I messed up and reopen the slot. Sorry, whoever submitted Calista (and the only user whose name I forgot to write down). We WILL get there... eventually.**


	11. District Nine Reaping

Harmony Griffith POV

"Maybe somewhere  
Far away out there  
Beyond the rising sun

Is a place  
Without fear  
Where everything's peaceful and calm

Where it's warm  
And we're all safe  
To sing

I want to spread my wings  
But there's so many things  
That keep me on the ground  
I wish that we all could run far away  
And never be found..."

"Before the sun rises, who knows what the day brings?

Sorrow and pain, they're worlds away

Hope rises again far on the horizon

Reborn every day in life-giving light

To see the world wake is to see the world live

The best and the worst of this world we call home

We don't know what comes next or how it will happen

Yet always and always, life carries on

Never give in to pain and to fear

Never give in, never give up

Reach out your hand to whoever is near

Always remember that you're strong enough

It all seems so hopeless, I want to let go

How can I fight so much evil and pain?

I'm a speck in the wind and a drop in the ocean

I'm here and I'm gone, a flicker of light

Press on and endure, persist and remain

A trickle of water can carve a great valley

Use every moment and fill every day

Each time the sun sets, know that you're not the same

Never give in to pain and to fear

Never give in, never give up

Reach out your hand to whoever is near

Always remember that you're strong enough"

* * *

 **Buckwheat Mager POV**

I was engrossed in my work inspecting our new mill wheel when my cousin Sadie interrupted me.

"You have to get going. It's Reaping time," she said. Her eyes darted toward the open door and I could see the fear she was trying to mask with tense humor. Of course she was scared. We were all scared. I wasn't as scared as most of us, but I had good reason.

I'd always picked things up easily. While it seemed like most people in my District, and Panem in general, was content to do their work and scrape by, my thoughts were deeper. I thought about life outside my village and the philosophical questions of life. At work, I learned my duties quickly and I was probably the best worker at the mill.

For that reason, I'd never had to be scared of the Reaping. First off, chances were I'd never get picked. And if I did, I had nothing to worry about. I was miles smarter than the other Tributes. Only the Careers would give me trouble, but I could find a way around that. Maybe pit them against each other, or pick them off from a distance. I didn't want to tempt fate and I was happy with my life, so I'd never volunteered, but it was nice to know I was safe.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up. Just gotta finish this quick," I said. Sadie nervously fiddled with the hem of her shirt and left. I took a final look over the gears and widjets in the milling apparatus and ran after her, reaching her just as she got in line.

I'd always thought Demi was overrated, but lately she hadn't even been trying. She'd been getting less enthusiastic and more slapdash every year. _I don't see a ring on her finger. Starting to get a little desperate, maybe?_ Maybe she had more important things to do then dress up for a bunch of walking corpses. Her outfits, previously so outlandish and perfectly, tackily Capitol, were increasingly dull and frumpy. She was wearing black this year, looking not so much stylish as mournful. Her fingers limply trailed through the paper and she slumped as she read the male name.

"Buckwheat Mager," she said. In past years she'd yelled it out with perky enthusiasm. This time her microphone had to pick up the slack.

After a split second I realized the name was mine. I didn't say anything as I took the stage next to a beautiful slender girl with dark, kinky hair. She was as quiet and still as I was, but probably for different reasons. I just didn't have any _reason_ to be scared. There was no reason why my skin was prickled with goosebumps and my hands were shaking. There was no reason why my eyes stung and my throat was swollen shut. I had no reason to be scared at all...

* * *

 **I made Harmony's POV entirely in song because I thought anything else would just detract. The first song was sent by her submitter, and since otherwise she'd have a ridiculously short POV, I wrote her a second one. Buckwheat is short because he was provided as a fill-in character and he wasn't intended to be complex.**


	12. Ten Reaping

Callista Corral POV

I never belonged in District Ten. Everything here is smelly and bloody. My parents work in a butcher shop and I was supposed to join them. That lasted about a day. They weren't happy, but I found work with my friend instead. I help train the collies that herd our sheep. Dogs smell a lot better than cows, and I don't have to kill them.

Reaping Day was confusing for me. I liked seeing Fluvius and his neat outfits. I liked how for one day, our District brushed with the Capitol and I got to see the outside world. Of course, I _was_ worried about whoever got picked. I hoped it wasn't one of my friends, like Dahlia, Neve, Lluvia, Sol, Nube, Cellisca... I'd be lonely if one of them left. Who'd do my hair then? I especially hoped it wasn't Graniza. She made really good cookies. But then, maybe they'd win. Ten has been doing better lately.

I grew early, so I could see Fluvius easily when he came onstage. He always favored blue, and this year he looked like he stepped out of a history book with his powder blue frills and ribbons. His face was covered with powder as white as flour and he had a giant rolling wig. Even his nails were blue as he dipped them into the bowl.

"First, the ladies!" he said. "Callista Corr-" I cut him off with an unearthly screech. I grabbed the girl next to me and shoved her in front of me, cowering behind her.

"Not me! Someone volunteer, quick!" I screamed. Everyone always told me how pretty and sweet I was. Of _course_ someone would volunteer for me. I kept waiting even as the Peacekeepers brought me onstage.

 _What's going on? Why aren't they volunteering?_ Nobody spoke up, and Fluvius started to pick the male name. Of course it was _extra_ certain my brother Garrett would volunteer. All the same, I still didn't want to go. Maybe if I was really annoying they'd have to put me back.

"For the m-" Fluvius started.

" _A little black dog sat on the porch!"_ I started to scream. I didn't have any music to accompany me, so the notes were off.

"Ard-" Fluvius broke through.

" _And Bingo was his name-o!"_ I interrupted.

"Ard-"

"B-I-N-G-O!"

"Arden-"

"B-I-N-G-O!"

" _Arden-"_

"B-I-N-G-O!"

" _Ardengrake!"_

 _"_ _AND BINGO WAS HIS NAME-O!"_ Fluvius' microphone screeched with feedback as he tried to say something and gave up. He threw up his arms and left the stage. I ran around between the Peacekeepers as they tried to wrestle me backstage and I accidentally knocked into Arden, who fell on his butt and sat in a daze.

I was so mad I would have given my family the silent treatment if I didn't like talking so much. I couldn't _believe_ Garrett just sat there. He was lucky I was going to win. But when I came back, see if I ever invited _him_ to my mansion.

* * *

Arden Grake POV

The Reaping was quite an event. I didn't remember all of it, but I remembered enough.

At first it seemed like a normal Reaping. My chest was tight and I stared at the patch of ground in front of me, pretending I was somewhere else. Boys around me wept or clenched their fists as we waited to see who would die. Fluvius opted to call the girl first, and that's when everything fell apart.

I didn't know so much energy could come from a mass the size of Callista. It was like listening to the spring slaughter of the lambs. She ran and screamed like ten girls. I felt for her, but it almost seemed gauche.

 _Have some dignity. Tut tut,_ I thought, and felt guilty for being so callous. Fluvius tried to pick the other name, and the girl broke out into a nail-on-a-chalkboard rendition of _Bingo,_ of all things.

"Ard-" Fluvius started, and my heart skipped. _Don't panic,_ I thought. _Maybe he's going to say Ardi Lake. Or maybe he said "Art", like Arthur._ After a few more abortive attempts, he was more successful.

"Arden-" I started breathing faster. _There's gotta be another Arden, right? It's not that common a name._

"Arden Grake!"

My stomach ripped itself from its perch and flipped over in an attempt to hide deeper in my body. My breathing stopped as a crushing weight pressed on me, like the nights when I woke up paralyzed and saw monsters creeping toward me. Maybe I went without breathing too long, because everything went blurry and when I focused again, I was in the Justice Hall. My brothers were crowded around in various emotional states and my mother was bent over me weeping. For whatever reason, my rear end was sore.

"I got Reaped," I said. My mother held me tighter and my father, who was putting on a brave face, winced. I knew things were bad then. He was always so stoic.

"Don't die!" my youngest brother implored me. He'd been with me at the Reaping, and I wanted to ask him what happened after I got Reaped, but my middle brother interrupted me.

"We got you a necklace!" he said. It had some sort of Asian writing on it, from back before the Rebellion.

"It means 'calm'," he said as he gave it to me.

"I guess I could use that," I said. _Understatement of the century._ I knew things were far worse than I was acting like. It must have not sunk in yet.

It sure sank in after they left. My family was never touchy-feely or open about our emotions. I realized how much pain my mother must have been in to be crying like that and everything crashed down. A necklace wasn't enough to quell anxiety of that level, and it was only going to get worse.

* * *

 **Finally the Reapings are over and I can proceed to chapters that are limited only by my endurance! Expect more soon.**

 **I can't take credit for the Bingo thing. It was in Callista's form.**


	13. Mentoring Moments

Kazuo Braun POV

Every year it got a little easier. My own time in the Arena- my own _times_ in the Arena- seemed farther away and less real. I could focus more on the children in front of me and my duties toward them. If I could bring one of them home, it would make up for the people I killed. I could even things out.

The only thing was... when I looked at Jynx and Victory, I didn't see the person the second Games had made me. I saw me back when I was an eager Career who couldn't wait to kill people. If I prepared my mentees for the Games, I prepared them to do the same thing I'd done. It wouldn't give me any redemption to help two Tributes kill even more children. Maybe it wasn't right to help them at all...

* * *

Pray Jager POV

I wasn't sure about this year's crop. Mary Ellen was competent, but not much more. She didn't have that extra something that made a Career a Victor, whether it was my skill or Meg's style. Ash had the enthusiasm, but I wasn't sure his skills matched his bravado. Both of them seemed to distracted. When I played my Game, I had one thing on my mind. There wasn't room for anything else. They needed to realize that.

* * *

Acee Hal POV

I got my first Victor with Beetee a few years back. It was wonderful to have someone else who knew what I'd been through, even if I cursed myself for being glad for his pain. It also meant I both had one life on my conscience and would only be responsible for one death this year. On the negative side, as I looked at my Tribute, I knew it _would_ be one death.

* * *

Jonah Breaker POV

Something was weird about my Tribute this year. He _looked_ capable- he was stout and strong and definitely competent. There was just something weird about him.

"All right, what's your plan for the Games?" I asked. _And where's the weird part?_

"Kill the enemies, bring glory to my ancestors, and feast in Valhalla," he said.

 _There it is._

* * *

Erwin Jackson POV

Usually my mentees were alone when I first met them. Gabriel was sitting next to a man in a ridiculously colorful outfit covered in a horrid mishmash of shapes and fabrics. I disliked him straight away, but Gabriel's silence seemed twice as sweet in comparison.

"Who's he?" I asked Gabriel. Unfortunately, the man answered.

"I'm Gabriel's interpreter. He understands you, but it's diffcult for him to speak," he said. Gabriel tapped his fist to his mouth, swept his open palm away from his face, touched his pinky to his ear, flicked his wrist down, extended his thumb along with his pinky, and wiggled his hand.

"He says, 'silence is golden'," the interpreter said. _You got that right, kid._

* * *

Lena POV

Pale peach the color of singing birds. Girl is hiding beautiful hiding ever disappearing. Glowing like the universe, moving like light. I can draw her make her permanent never changing on paper colors bursting from page. Hide girl, girl, hide. Too beautiful to be seen hide away they'll try to take you away. Fade away losing colors so much loss. Golden hair twisted like stars. Marble form like none other. Hiding hiding good to hide.

* * *

Paul Olson POV

"Fancy seeing you here. I thought for sure someone would volunteer for you," I said. It seemed cartoonishly evil to taunt a child on his deathbed, but Panem had a way of changing your perspective. I'd seen Zetan around giving people trouble, and I'd seen too many good kids die to cry over a rotten twig.

"Laugh it up. You're about to see me die, aren't you?" Zetan said. He scowled and his eyes misted over. The change made him seem even younger than he was, and I realized he was a victim too. Bully or not, he didn't deserve this.

"All right. You think you're pretty tough, right? Let's make sure you really are."

* * *

Tillo Peters POV

"So how'd you get into this mess?" I asked Silver. If she didn't get it together soon, she was headed straight for the Bloodbath. She was fiddling with her skirt and could barely meet my eyes.

"I volunteered," she said quietly. I didn't know whether to be disgusted or repulsed, so I waited for more information.

"Why?" I asked. She looked out the window and her voice grew a shade harder.

"It's not right," she said. I was entirely wrong about her. She wasn't a murderer or a egomaniac. Like the rest of us, she saw what was wrong with Panem. Unlike the rest of us, she had the courage to oppose it with her life. For the first time in years, I'd found someone worth respect.

* * *

Chimera Ilium POV

Buckwheat assured me he had everything taken care of, so I focused on Harmony. She seemed far more nervous than he was, and she started to quietly sing as she looked out the window. I'd never heard a Capitol singer sound so wonderful. Every year, the Tributes were so different. I'd seen so many come and go, and before, it was always just a game. I wanted them to win, of course, but there was always next year. Not this time. Harmony was one in a million. It would be a tragedy if Panem lost her. Maybe it was more than just a game.

* * *

Bambi Kirkland POV

There was one good thing in my victory, and I reminded myself of it constantly. Because of me, Cornflower could stay away and didn't have to be scared anymore. That made it worthwhile, even though it meant I was scared in her place. Labyrinth had sensed me mood as soon as the day began, and he was pressed against my leg protectively.

* * *

"A doggie!" Callista said as soon as she came in. She knelt by him and petted his head. Labyrinth's harness was on, so he stood at attention and ignored her.

"Oh you're so pretty!" Callista said. It made me uneasy having a Tribute so close to me, even if she wasn't in my Games and we weren't competition. Labyrinth nosed her hand away and stepped away from me to create distance.

"I was scared before, but it's better now," Callista said. Uneasy as I was, I could tell she really loved Labyrinth, and anyone who loved dogs couldn't be entirely bad. I could get through this.

* * *

Peppermint Wilson POV

Looking at Austin was like seeing a ghost. He looked just like his brother. Tough break for the family. There was also something about his bearing that made him seem older than his years. My skin prickled. It just gave me the creeps.

 _Whatever. Maybe it'll be easier this time. You've practically already seen him die once,_ I told myself. No matter how ghostly he was, he was still entirely mortal.

* * *

Demi Bottle POV

As soon as I saw I'd Reaped a twelve-year-old, I knew it was going to be a rough year. But Alinta surprised me. Children were so elastic, and she already seemed over it. Maybe she was too young to understand or maybe the confidence of youth told her she had nothing to worry about. I didn't hold out much hope for her, but I prayed she proved me wrong. Nubu actually had a chance, and it made a horrible paradox. I couldn't root for one of them to live without wishing the other would die. It was all I could do to save one of them, and even that was a faraway dream.

* * *

 **Now you see why Six has always been Toby before. He at least is still tenuously connected to reality. If you read Lena's chapter in 75 Victors it makes a little more sense, but not much.**

 **Even though I skip years, I write Victor's POVs like time hasn't passed because I want you to be able to see their changes. Bambi would have been mentoring for a few years, but I treated it like his first so we can witness him grow and get over his fear.**


	14. One Day You're In, The Next You're Out

Hollan Makhpiya

"You and Jynx are _so_ adorable together! I think we should dress you in a joint costume. Wouldn't that be precious?" I asked Victory.

" _NO!"_

"Okay then..."

* * *

Frippery Tubman

 _Oh myyy..._

"We're not going to want to hide _this,_ are we?" I said to Ash. But his reply didn't matter. The people _deserve_ to see this fine Adonis. What did they call those old fighters? Gladiators? _Which one wore the least clothing?_

* * *

Cilantro Pestle

"Can there be feathers in my outfit? I like feathers," Moddi said.

"Sure, why not? You don't have much longer to live anyway," I commented absentmindedly as I sketched. Moddi didn't take that very well.

* * *

Rouge Twain

What luck! Back when I was little, I _loved_ reading about Norse gods. They didn't seem to overlap with District Four, but if you looked a little closer there were connections. I needed a big ol' pot...

* * *

Blush Paletti

"You got anything good? Five outfits are so lame," Lyra said. _I never!_ Obviously _some_ people had no taste. _You want something good? It is_ on.

"Girl, you ain't even _seen_ good!"

* * *

Puff Auri

Byke was singularly uninspiring. Luckily for him, I came pre-inspired.

"Six is the transportation District, right? Back in the old days, people used doves to carry letters. Instead of dressing you, I was thinking we could just paste doves all over your body! Isn't that precious?" I said to Byke. He stared wide-eyed at me. He couldn't even say how impressed he was.

* * *

Cocoa Mizrahi

I hoped Ree liked what I made for her. I put everything I had into it- into each stroke of the brush and each perfectly placed appliance. I hoped she felt beautiful and one in a million. I hoped it was the moment of a lifetime, because it had to be.

* * *

Baste Marinade

Same old, same old. Every year it was boring textiles and lackluster outfits. Not _this_ year. I was blazing a trail. I was _making_ the trend. Bring out the wigs, bring out the glitter. T _his_ time, it was going to be a showstopper.

* * *

Mint Goblet

It's so upsetting when my Tributes cry. Harmony looked so forlorn and shy sitting on my table. I was just glad I was a woman and she didn't have that to deal with too.

"There, there, it'll be all right," I said, and I wrapped my arm around her.

"Do you say that to all your Tributes? It's never been true yet," she said. Then we were both crying.

* * *

Succara Spice POV

"I _love_ fashion!" Callista informed me as soon as she walked in. "You're not gonna do another cow outfit, right?"

I was going to do a cow.

* * *

Filay Spade

"You look just like your brother," I said when I saw Austin.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he said. I wasn't sure if it made my job easier or harder. On the one hand, I knew what made Jay look good. On the other hand, this wasn't Jay. I had to make him a new and unique look. Decisions, decisions...

* * *

Cuisine Martinique

"Woah! This is so cool! You have _orange_ lipstick?" Alinta bounced around the room looking through compacts and feeling dresses.

"I know right?! Best job ever!" I said. Alinta opened a box and squealed as she sifted through handfuls of fist-sized, multicolored jewels.

"Can you put _these_ on my outfit?" she asked.

"OMG best idea ever!"

* * *

 **I was going through my list of stylists and made an abrupt discovery: I only had eleven! Somehow for the last like five Games I've only been giving eleven Districts a POV! What the heck? Maybe one of my eagle eyed readers can go back and find out what happened, but I went through two separate Games and I only had eleven stylists. I had to invent Succara so Ten finally got a slot. Fail!**

 **UPDATE: Thanks Everlastingimpression for solving the mystery! It was Creme Brulee I forgot. With a name like that I really shouldn't have forgotten... him? Her? I honestly don't know for half these stylists. Cuisine is a girl and Hollan's a boy... I added Creme to my list so next time things should be back to normal. For this year, I'm going to leave Succara as an assistant stylist because I feel bad making her and wiping her from existence.**


	15. Parade

Polyphemus Ignotus POV

"Here they come! It's District One, and they never disappoint! Victory's white gown is as resplendent as she is, and the rainbow jewels that flare down her skirt look like a burst of rainbow fire! Oh, she knows she's gorgeous! She's fluttering her rainbow fan before her face shyly and blowing kisses at the crowd when they can't bear her absence. Jynx's golden pants look like they're painted on and his chest is bare. Is it hot in here? His hat and cape are covered with red and white jewels. Oh d- oh _dear._ He just gave Victory bunny ears, and she figured it pretty quick when the crowd started laughing. Oh dear! She smacked him in the face with her fan. Is that allowed?"

"Is Ash supposed to be a gladiator? It doesn't seem sensible to fight in a chain mail bikini bottom and nothing else. I don't think he knows either. One arm is flexing while the other covers his behind... _literally._ Mary Ellen is his polar opposite in a sleekly futuristic Peacekeeper outfit that covers every inch of her lovely form. She's facing forward like she doesn't notice the crowd or the nearly naked boy beside her."

"In a shocking move that surprised no one, Gizmo's suit has wires all over it. Oh wow, it's truly _electrifying..._ not. Moddi's dress is... more colorful. She's wearing a long skirt bedazzled with bright yellow feathers. It's very pretty, but what does it have to do with electronics? Between the two of them, they make one appropriate and stylish Tribute. At least she's loving hers. She's swishing the skirt and waving enthusiastically. Gizmo looks more ready to get back to training."

"Maris' hair was already green and the stylists must have been inspired. She wears a seashell bra and a flowing seaweed skirt. The water lilies in her hair and swirls of aquatic paint on her face make it clear she's a siren, and I'm sure she's every bit as dangerous. She's swaying back and forth as hypnotically as her namesake. Floki, meanwhile, is more confusing. He towers over Maris and seems to be having trouble staying upright. He's holding a giant cauldron. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lyra is standing very still, and it's easy to see why. Her dress is actually bursting with sparks, descending like a waterfall. It's very striking, but I'm sure it's also very stunning if you get too close. Gabriel, who is huddled against the other side of the chariot watching Lyra, must be representing light energy. Half his suit is bright and yellow, and the other half is cool and silver. He even has a matching necklace with a tiny star inside a crescent moon."

"I don't know what to do when I look at Byke. There's a stop sign right next to a yield sign and a go sign on his shoulder. His waist warns me that there are curvy roads, falling rocks, and a hairpin turn ahead, while his kilt clearly indicated that I should stop this minute. His legging resemble roads, but anyone on that road is about to crash. Another thing I don't understand is why his hair and arms are covered in white blotches and he's holding his nose. Ree, however, is stunning. I hardly believe it's her and not a graceful dove in human form. Her wings are outstretched and her eyes are as dark as night. Every plane of her face is delicate and etched in white marble."

"Ho hum, Zetan's a lumberjack. We don't always see the neat patterns in the hair, though. It's not _entirely_ old hat. That's more like it! Juniper is... a juniper! Leaves and berries festoon her dress and blue tights and green boots complete the ensemble. The blue makeup is the cherry on top. Zetan seems to know how cheesy he looks and is hunched over waiting for it to be over. Again in contrast. Juniper is hopping up and down and inciting the crowd to do the wave."

"Silver is dressed as a stuffed panda. That's pretty adorable, especially since she's so shy she's holding her red paws in front of her eyes. Arter's stylist, however, has truly taken it to the next level. Most Tributes from Eight are dressed in the normal fabricky dresses or occasional rag doll outfits. Hats, however, are also a textile. Arter's skin is chalk white and his giant stovepipe hat has a tea pot perched on top. His suit is checkered red and yellow and his yellow bow tie is polka dotted. I only wish it was on a more appropriate Tribute. Arter seems to think he's above all this. He's glaring at the crowd and daring them to laugh."

"Anything would look good on Harmony. Her lovely face peeks out from the bushy petals of a purple flower, and one leafy hand waves to the crowd while the other is pressed delicately to her cheek. Buckwheat is dressed as a buckwheat and does not appreciate the joke. He ripped his lovely yellow flower from his head and threw it at the horses behind him."

"I've been doing this a long time. I've seen a lot of outfits from Ten and I've seen a lot of cows. Callista is the most cow-ey cow I have ever seen. From the white and black splotched coveralls to the bell around her neck, rarely have I seen an outfit so lacking in originality. She must agree with me, since she's slumped over the chariot's front with her arms folded. Arden's plain bull outfit is so entirely un-noteworthy I have nothing to say about it. After the thunderous silence from the crowd, Arden shook his head and raised to hoofed hands in an apologetic shrug."

"Austin is wearing your everyday farmer outfit, with overalls and a straw hat. Nothing great, but nothing terrible. Really, he looks more bored than anything else. The only interesting thing here is that Delilah is dressed as a traffic cone for some bizarre reason. She's trying to huddle down out of sight, but that's hard to do when you're a giant orange pyramid."

"All I can see on Nubu is a pair of blue eyes. The rest is covered with black armor that looks impenetrable. In one hand he carries a canary in a cage, and the other holds a bloody pickaxe slung over his back. He's very still, probably because he's too heavy to move. Alinta makes up for it as she charges from one side of the chariot to the other, calling out and waving her arms toward the crowd. Her smile is as bright as the jewels covering her coal miner's outfit. She- great Scott! She ran into Nubu and he toppled over toward the horses behind him. Alinta had to dive after him and haul him back in as he floundered. Now she's a little more still, but not by much."

"There you have it. We've seen the worst, and we've seen the best. Just when we think we've seen it all, something new comes. And yet, some things are always the same. One will always look amazing. Ten will always be cows. And the most certain of all is that no two years are ever alike."

* * *

 **Delilah's form described an outfit for her original District of Six, so I just left it in order to add some anarchy to the Games. As for Byke, it seems his stylist didn't change her mind about the carrier pigeons fast enough :(**


	16. Note

**I see some people are concerned that certain Tributes are getting more time than others. I'm glad I have you to police me because I do mess up and I do tend to be absentminded. One time I forgot a Tribute wasn't dead and I still feel bad about it XD Don't hesitate to let me know whenever I neglect or forget someone, and don't hesitate to list specific names. Sorry to everyone I've neglected and I'm sorry for all the times I know I'll mess up in the future.**

 **When it comes to the mentor and stylist chapters, I usually alternate between boys and girls and I write those chapters to advance the mentors and stylists. What that means is that I use whichever Tribute would have a more interesting interaction with their stylist. For the mentors, I make sure to use your Victors in whatever Districts have them. Two, for example, usually highlights the female Tribute because Pray is the only one of your Victors from there. I do make a note of which Tributes haven't been featured so I remember to add more for them later. And I do mean a literal written note in my file, because I'll forget otherwise.**

 **Up next are the alliance chapters, so the Careers and any Tribute in an alliance will get a POV. Other Tributes will feature more heavily in the training sections and the chapter where I put in Capitol scenes. Most years I put more pre-Games POVs for Tributes I plan to kill in the Bloodbath, so eagle-eyed readers probably have a good idea of who's toast. This year I don't know who's dying, so I'll make sure everyone gets one. Once the Games start I keep a list up of all the Tributes and highlight ones I skip for a chapter so I go back later. I decide which Tributes will be featured before I start writing the chapter.**

 **That's just a heads-up so you know I am aware of the problem and am working to fix it. Also now you know that the next few chapters are for alliances and will include certain Tributes, so I might know I need to feature a Tribute but they won't be in the very next chapter. I also plan to alternate any Districts with more than one of your mentors. Erwin met the Tributes on the train, so Sky will see them off in the tubes. If I forget and mess up, I will go back and alter the chapter.**


	17. Careers

Jynx Susurrus POV

I didn't know what to do, and I hated it. I was supposed to be in the pack, like a good Career from One. But whenever I sat with them, all I could see was Victory charming their pants off and quietly hating me. They all loved her, and I just looked like a wet blanket. I didn't fit it, and something had to give.

I knew it would be easy to find Kazuo. I'd seen him around One a few times. He went out when he wanted to, but he generally preferred to stay indoors. I found him in the One lounge reading a book and tapped on the doorframe.

"Hey, It's Jynx," I said. It didn't take a genius to know a Victor wouldn't like to be snuck up on. He only jumped a little, so it worked.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

"Yeah, I need to ask you something," I said. I sat on the other end of the couch and mustered up my courage. Skydiving or juggling knives, those were easy. Letting someone down? _That_ was the scary thing. But I was a Career through and through, and I went for it all at once.

"I was thinking maybe I wouldn't join the Careers," I said. I tensed up, ready to change my mind if he got mad or said it was stupid. But he didn't even react.

"Okay," he said. He tilted his book up slightly but waited in case I wasn't done.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"You don't have to be in the pack. Sometimes it's better not to be. It's always tense when so many competitors are so close together. I wasn't in the pack when I won," he said.

"Yeah, I guess you weren't," I said. He was barely with them the first time around, either. I felt a surge of relief and confidence. I was being such a worrywart. I was going to do fine. Right away I started thinking about new strategies and weaknesses I had to correct for. I didn't want to bother Kazuo anymore, though, so I did my planning elsewhere.

I wasn't worried about telling the others I was out. Victory would be delighted and the others barely knew me. If I got lucky they'd underestimate me, but it was more likely that they'd all studied me in depth already. But I didn't need to worry about any of that. I'd done the scary part already. Winning the Games would be much easier.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine POV

Jynx was out. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I appreciated him removing himself from the picture, but I also couldn't believe he was being so stupid. After the Bloodbath, who's the Careers' first target? Their biggest threat. He had the entire pack gunning for him, and no matter how perfect he was, he was going down.

"Here's the plan. We'll all pick a target and go for them at the Bloodbath, when we'll all be together. We should pick the ones who know most about survival, so keep an eye on them during training," I said at one of our planning sessions.

"Thanks, _President_ Amarinthine," Maris said.

"What was that?" I asked.

"She was just wondering who made you boss," Mary said. I decided right then I didn't like Maris, but I kept my face diplomatic.

"It's a good idea, isn't it?" I said.

"Yeah, it is," Maris admitted. I gave her my most grateful smile. _I still don't like you,_ I thought.

"We probably don't have to waste time on the younger Tributes. They'll sort themselves out," Mary said.

"Good idea," Maris said. Too often, the Careers go for quantity over quality at the Bloodbath. Killing ten kids might look good for sponsors, but it leaves too many loose ends.

"What do you think?" I asked Floki. He tended to be quiet, though I sensed it was because he preferred action and not because he lacked intelligence.

"It's a good plan. I want my target to be one of the stronger ones, though. I want it to be a real fight," he said.

"Fair enough," I said. No skin off my back if he wants to do all the hard work. As much as I suspected Maris, I found myself liking Floki. He was the only Career I'd ever heard of that I knew wouldn't kill me in my sleep. He might kill me, but he'd attack from the front.

I'd learned a lot in one session. I'd learned that I could take a leadership role, but the others would never be obedient followers. We were all expert planners. That's what made us Careers. I'd also learned where I stood with the others. I knew who to stick close to and who to keep between me and a certain someone else. There were a thousand variables in the Games, and any one of them could kill me. I had to nail down as many as I could, and I was on my way.

* * *

Ash Smith POV

Jynx wasn't in the Careers either. It was going to be a small pack this year. All the better for us outsiders. I _was_ still interested in one or two allies. Maybe he'd be interested. We could pick up a third who knew about the boring stuff like firemaking and we could do some real damage.

The training room wasn't open yet, so I was in the lounge watching the older Games. I wanted to see all the Victors and see what made them win. Last year's wasn't much help. Millicent won largely because the other Tribute was wounded when they fought. Before that, the recent trend was that intelligent Tributes had been winning. Wiress and Beetee both thought their way to the top. Personally, I preferred practice to theory, but I still learned that I should watch out for the smart ones.

The tapes stretched on forever. It seemed like torture to wait for the training room to open. I came here to fight, not to sit around doing nothing. Back home, if I didn't work, I didn't eat, at least until the mayor found me. There was another thing that made me different from the other Careers. They learned the right way to fight and the proper form. I learned how to win. I fought on the streets with no spotters or equipment. Low blows and backstabbings were expected and planned for. I knew to expect that they would come for me at the Bloodbath or right after, and I knew when to fight and when to run.

I gave up studying and wandered around the building. It was neat to see the Tributes from other Districts. Some of the girls were real cute, and I wished they didn't have to die. I went from floor to floor looking at all the attractions and the luxuries, from a shopping center to a tiny zoo. If only there had been anything that could have helped me prepare. Even a laser tag place would do _something._

I reached the very top of the Games Center and looked over the edge. There weren't any railings, since they used force fields instead. For a moment I considered chucking myself over the edge just to get a rush. _How far down is it? I know there are a hundred and eight stories. I sure walked up a lot of stairs._

 _Stairs..._

I went back to the stairwell I'd climbed and looked down its endless spiral. It wasn't the main staircase and almost everyone used the elevators anyway, so it was empty. I wasn't supposed to train before the training room opened, but there was nothing in the rules about climbing some stairs. If I wanted to climb them a few times more than necessary, that was all right. If I was especially energetic and wanted to run up them, that was all right. I didn't even know if I _could_ run all the way up all those stairs. There had to be a thousand of them. But there was only one way to find out. I started the long walk down.

* * *

Mary Ellen Westley POV

Jynx and Ash were idiots who gained themselves powerful enemies. Victory thought she was all that and was competent enough for me to tolerate. Maris was a poser and Floki was a nut. It didn't look good for the proud reputation of the Career Districts, but it looked good for me.

Since I couldn't train yet, I was enjoying some old-fashioned people-watching. The outlying Tributes were so cute, making plans and discussing alliances like they thought they had a chance. The little girl and the crazy volunteer from Eight were braiding each others' hair and the hick boys from Nine and Ten were discussing an alliance. I wondered which one would be my first target.

I grew bored of the show and went to find Pray. Of all the losers I was stuck with, she was the only useful face. I knew she was at my level because she'd actually won a Games. We could discuss things as equals.

"So do you have advice for me or what?" I asked Pray when I found her. She was always so serious. Her Games had been over for years. Couldn't she lighten up?

"Stop patting yourself on the back and earn your pride," she said.

"Wow, way to pull the punches," I said. She looked at me like I was wasting her time and I folded my arms.

"You don't win by pulling punches," she said.

"Don't you ever think about anything but the Games?" I asked.

"No. And neither should you, if you want to live," she said.

"Like you know anything about living," I said. All she knew about was killing.

"Sounds like you have it all figured out, then," Pray said.

"Ooh, I didn't know you were capable of sarcasm," I said. I had to give the old battleax credit for that.

"Yep, that and killing. For the rest, you're on your own," she said. She actually waved me off like I'd overstayed my appointment. I didn't need her. She had a lot of good advice for me, but I didn't _need_ her. I didn't need any of the others, either. I would have done fine any year, but this was shaping up to be an especially weak crop. I had it in the bag.

* * *

Maris Calder POV

I never realized how different my family was from most Careers' until I heard the others talking. Tori's parents were insanely proud and demanding of their little Career. I didn't hear much from Jynx before he left, but he mentioned how high his parents' expectations were. Ash was an orphan, but he still had the mayor. Mary practiced with her father at home and Floki's entire family was obsessed with battle. I was the only one whose parents weren't so hot on the idea.

It was only after I left that I realized I was wrong about my parents. My father was never close to me, but he took the time to pass on an old heirloom and see me off. Maybe he didn't disapprove of my training because he was disappointed. Maybe he just didn't want to see me die and he didn't know why I would want to do this.

I knew much more about my mother. She and I used to talk every day as she brushed my hair. Of course I was old enough to do it myself, but it made her so happy and I loved the moments we shared. I could talk to her about anything, from troubles at school to broken hearts. I knew I was capable and I didn't regret my decisions, but I was starting to wish I'd thought more about her before I decided to train. _I_ may not have been worried, but she was probably at home missing her little girl and wondering if the next time she saw me onscreen might be the last.

And then there was Toby. I'd loved him ever since I first saw him, all pink and wrapped up like a taco. He looked up to me and I loved being with him. He wanted to be like me. Would that extend to the Games? It wouldn't if I died, I supposed. But what if I won? Would he want to be a Victor just like his big sister? He talked about the Academy sometimes, and I'd never realized how unsettling that was. I couldn't imagine my sweet little brother with blood spattered on his face or throwing knives at a target.

I should have been a better example. I should have spent more time fishing with him and less time practicing for a fight I never really planned to volunteer for. What did I think I was doing at the Academy? Was it just playtime for me? He wouldn't see it that way. He'd see it as the thing his cool big sister did.

I'd planned to put on a brave face through the Games so I wouldn't scare Toby. Maybe it was better if I didn't. If I made it look painful and hard and dirty, he wouldn't want to go. Of course, the thing that would scare him the most would be to watch his sister die. I couldn't let that happen.

* * *

Floki Grimm POV

I was glad the Games had brought me and Tori together. She was bright and vivacious, and she appreciated me for who I was. I never mentioned it to any of the others, but I was never popular in Four. I never knew why the others fixated on me and decided I was the one they would mock and scorn. When the outside world rejected me, I retreated to my family and the things we knew to be true. I began to treasure the ancient legends and look forward to a way of life where people were judged by their actions and not their reputations. Tori was a wonderful girl, and I hoped I saw her at the feasting tables.

I naturally found my way to the Victor's Hall, where I examined the busts of the Victors before me. I stopped before Jonah's to admire it. My mentor seemed so strong and wise. I appreciated all the time and knowledge he gave to me. I paid a visit to Shelle's as well. Even though I didn't know her as well, I wanted to give honor to Four's other Victor.

There was something missing from the Hall, however. I wished there was a marker for all the other Tributes- the ones that died. The ones that fell in battle deserved a place of honor as well as those who won. Others were young and innocent and never should have been sent to war in the first place. The idea of a bunch of sheltered twelve-year-olds in Valhalla brought on a smile. Of course, Freya would take care of them. They'd be in the gardens of Folvangr where there were no grizzled warriors to scare them.

I wished I didn't have to wait so long for the battle to begin. I was already prepared, and I had been for years. Even training wouldn't still my restlessness. That was just playacting. We weren't allowed to do anything dangerous or spar with each other. I wanted to truly test my strength and see what I was made of. There can be no life without the risk of death.

When I returned to the pack, I became aware of how different things were since I'd met them. They accepted me as one of their own. It was like we were soldiers in the same army, even though I knew we would eventually break apart. The war culture of the Games was a far fitter home for me than the quiet seas and insidious insults of Four. I wished I could stay forever, fighting again and again and only stopping to be healed. I wished we could all fight the others forever and our band would never split apart. I could have been happy forever with Tori and the others. I'd never had better friends.

* * *

 **Holy long chapter Batman! I didn't even notice as I was writing it. I did try to make sure each Career got some development so everyone could make more informed votes, so that probably affected things. I also included Jynx and Ash even though they're not in the alliance just because they fit the best with the other Careers and now I definitely won't forget them.**


	18. Mind, Body, and Soul

Gizmo Torrens POV

 _If you do not seek out_ _allies and helpers, then you will be isolated and weak-_ Sun Tzu

I couldn't do this on my own. I had strengths, but I also had weaknesses. I needed to find other Tributes whose own strengths and weaknesses mirrored my own. Then we would be indispensible to each other and not prone to treachery. It was the final day before training started, and I examined the other Tributes in the cafeteria.

The Careers were out, of course. Ash and Jynx weren't with them, but our differences in skill were too great. I would be an auxiliary to them, not a partner. In any case, I didn't trust a Career to value an ally's life. My District partner Moddi would be the best choice if I wanted sponsors, but Moddi was unskilled and what skills she did have matched my own.

I scrolled through a mental list of the other Tributes, evaluating each one as I looked around the room. Silver was far too compassionate and she was already engaged in helping Alinta. Neither of them were likely to survive the Bloodbath. Gabriel had the character, but the cold fact was that he was a liability. Byke and Lyra were both obnoxious and I couldn't imagine they had any skill.

I stopped when my eyes landed on Nubu. I could tell he was kindhearted just be seeing how he acted around the other Tributes. When Delilah came near his table with a tray, he moved to make room for her before she even sat down. He smiled at everyone who passed and I knew he was looking for allies. He was an ideal partner in character, and I knew he likely possessed useful skills as well. He came from Twelve, so he would be used to surviving in hard conditions and with little food. He probably knew some things about edible plants or fixing shelters. His natural skills complemented my urban ones, and we were an ideal match.

* * *

Nubu Sanders POV

I hardly thought about Gizmo when I was going over possible allies. He seemed so focused and intense I felt like approaching him would be a bother. When he came to me, I thought he was just walking by. I smiled to be polite, but I started when he actually talked to me.

"You're looking for allies," he said. It felt like some sort of test to see if I was worthy of him. All I could do was answer honestly.

"Yeah. How about you?" I asked.

"I'm looking for someone to balance me. I know technology and you seem like you know nature," he said.

"I worked at the trainyards back home, but I know a few things. I have a chipmunk named Chip," I offered. "It's kind of a silly name, but he's cute."

"I think we can help each other. Do you want to ally?" Gizmo asked. He was so blunt and concise it was clear he wasn't hiding anything. He was refreshingly frank after a certain duplicitous soul from my past. I thought about it for a minute. Gizmo was probably wicked smart, since he was from Three. I could learn a lot from him.

"All right. It's a deal," I said. We shook hands.

"I think we should get one more person. Three is a strong number," Gizmo said.

"I was about to ask Zetan before you came," I said. Gizmo wrinkled his nose.

"He's a thug," he said.

"You don't even know him. Maybe that's why he's so standoffish," I said.

"Just look at the way his partner looks at him," Gizmo said.

"Maybe she's wrong," I said. It's not nice to judge people before you know them, and people aren't as simple as they look. "If you're the smart one and I'm the nature one, we need a strong one. Zetan's strong. And if you're right about him, he's not smart enough to give you any trouble."

I could see the calculations running through Gizmo's head, and it was a little unnerving. I got the feeling he could probably build a gun out of a rock or something.

"All right. Let's see what he says."

* * *

Zetan Thompson POV

"What are you grinning about?" I asked when Nubu came toward me. I regretted it as soon as it came out. Nubu was always nice and polite to everyone. He wouldn't have known about my reputation at home, and I might have actually made a friend. But not anymore.

"Nothing, I guess," he said. But he didn't stop, and it was contagious. I hoped he lasted a long time in the Games. He was just a nice guy.

"You look like you're pretty strong," he continued. Most people in Seven were. We worked hard in the lumberyards and forests.

"Yeah," I said. Did he think I was a dumb jock? I tensed for a fight in case his next words were an insult.

"I just allied with Gizmo. He knows about technology and I'm going to learn about plants. But we're both wimpy, so we're looking for someone strong like you. Can you help us out?" he asked. I couldn't believe what I'd heard. I _did_ want an ally, desperately. I was more scared than I could ever admit and I didn't want to go into the Games alone. I just didn't think anyone would have me. People always looked down on me and I'd gotten used to taking what I needed by force. It was surreally disarming to have someone _want_ to be with me.

"You want me as an ally?" I asked suspiciously. It might be a trick. He would wait until I agreed and then laugh and say how stupid I was to fall for it. Everyone would say that I wasn't just a bully, I was a stupid bully.

"Yeah. We'll be stronger together," Nubu said. I decided to take him up on it before he could change his mind.

"All right. But you better not slow me down," I snarled. I put on my toug face while I mentally prayed he wouldn't snarl back and tell me the deal was off. But he just shook my hand and we made plans to meet in training.

I always thought to be strong I had to be alone. I had to take things for myself and never think about others. I'd never thought about being stronger together. Nubu's ideas were strange and new, but I liked them.

* * *

 **I named this one the mind, body, and soul alliance. I think it's obvious which is which.**

 **Just a reminder: Jynx and Ash are both looking for allies even though they're not in the pack. Ash is also interested in a romance, so anyone who wants a romance for their character can let me know. Finally, Austin is also looking for allies.**


	19. Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Alinta Fintan

Almost everyone was sitting with someone else. The Careers were sitting together, three of the boys were gathered around a table, and Delilah was with the deaf boy. Only a few were by themselves. There were two of the Careers, which was weird. Then there was the girl from Three. She was tall and skinny, and she was sitting right in the middle of the room. Whenever people walked by she looked up and scootched over, but they never sat down. I felt bad for her all by herself, so I took my tray to her table.

"Can I sit with you?" I asked.

"Yeah!" she said. She moved her tray over and smiled at me as I sat down. The Games were a long way off, and I loved the Capitol food. You could get anything you wanted at any time of the day. I had a huge cinnamon roll with tons of frosting and chocolate milk. I was extra excited when I saw my favorite food in the world: oranges. Back home I got oranges once a year in the winter, but here there was a big bowl filled with them. I was so excited I squealed, and the lunch lady laughed.

"Thanks for sitting with me," the girl said. "I'm Moddi, from Three."

"I'm Alinta from Twelve," I said as I peeled my orange. "Have you ever had an orange? You can have half of mine." I passed her some slices.

"Thanks," she said. She ate one and her eyes got big. "That's so good," she said.

"I know, right?" I said. I split one in half and nibbled the tiny pieces of orange.

"I can sit with you more often if you want. You looked lonely," I said.

"That would be so cool! I was hoping someone would come with me. Everyone else was busy," she said.

"You should hang out with me and Silver. We're allying. She's really nice. You can come ally with us if you want. She'll like you. She's getting food now but she'll be here soon." I said. I'd never seen someone smile as big as Moddi.

"I can be your ally?" she said. "Thanks! We can be like best friends." I would have answered, but I had a mouth full of cinnamon roll. It was a spicy and sweet as the orange was tart and tangy. I took another slice of orange and suddenly it was a hundred times sourer, so sour it puckered my mouth. Maybe that wasn't a good idea.

* * *

 **Moddi Pex**

It was like a party when Silver came to join us. We could all talk about girl things and get to know each other. I wasn't very good at making friends back home, but we didn't have much time here so we got right to it.

"That's such a pretty necklace," I said to Alinta. "My token is this hairpiece. It's from my friend Tella."

"Thanks. Yours is cool too," Alinta said. I stopped to eat some more of my lunch. I'd picked some tiny breaded nuggets, which turned out to be shrimp. I'd never had shrimp before, but it was super good. They were crunchy on the outside and soft inside.

"Are you like really good at electronics, since you're from Three?" Alinta asked.

"I don't know. It's all so complex. I was good at putting the machines together, but I never really knew how they worked," I said. I didn't want to admit it, but they'd find out eventually. By Three standards, I was sort of dumb. Sometimes I wished I'd been born in one of the farming Districts.

"But you can put things together. That's good too," Silver said. "Maybe we'll be in an arena with no electric stuff and we'll have to build a shelter."

"I'd be good at that," I said. Maybe I wasn't useless after all.

"That would be weird, no electric stuff around. But I guess that's what the other Districts are like. Do you guys have lots of grass and trees and stuff?" I asked.

"There are lots of woods near my house. I like to climb them and see how far I can see," Alinta said.

"I can see pretty far from the top of our residential building, but all I see are more buildings," I said.

"Eight is sort of a mix. There are big factories, but they're all clustered together. The rest is mostly grass," Silver said.

"That must be nice. It would be nice to be able to run around in a big grassy field. I spend most of my time inside," I said.

"It _is_ nice. I get bored when I'm stuck inside," Alinta said. It seemed so normal, talking to my friends about our lives. It was like we weren't in the Capitol at all. I wished it could be like that all the time- just people all over Panem talking and making friends.

* * *

 **Silver Flower**

I could feel the sword hanging over my head. Things were so perfect now, but the Games were getting closer every second. I really liked Alinta and Moddi. We could have been friends forever, but only one of us was possibly going to live another year.

I felt so responsible and so unprepared. I had to care for Alinta, but I couldn't even care for myself. She seemed more prepared than me in so many ways. I was just a kid. I shouldn't have had to worry about whether my friend would be dead because I didn't help her. What was I going to do in the Bloodbath? What if someone attacked Moddi and someone else attacked Alinta? What if they attacked me and my allies got killed trying to help me?

I felt a hundred years old and I felt like a tiny child. I wanted to push it all away and play tag with Alinta and Moddi. I wanted to read a million books and learn everything I needed to keep us safe. I wanted to beg Tillo to take care of that and make sure we'd be okay. I wanted the Games to just start already so I didn't have to wait anymore. There were thousands of things to do and see in the Capitol. The beds were like clouds and the food was delicious. I couldn't enjoy any of it. I couldn't relax for a second knowing that each second floated away and brought me closer to the Games.

Outwardly, I was happy. I liked talking with my allies and all the wonderful things in the Capitol. It was just that in the back of my head, I heard death coming for me. I'd watch a chef pour fizzing rainbow liquid into a glass and hand it to me. _It's pouring like your blood,_ I'd hear. I'd wake up on feather mattresses and silk sheets. _Soon when you close your eyes they'll be hunting you._ I'd drift into sleep thinking of home. _Six days left until the night before the Games._ How could I be in both Heaven and Hell?

* * *

 **There were three girls in this alliance and there are three Powerpuff Girls, so naturally I called this alliance Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice. My guess is Moddi's the sugar, Alinta's the spice, and Silver's the everything nice, but Moddi and Silver make as much sense switched.**


	20. Fire and Ice

Buckwheat Mager

I could do this on my own, but it would be easier with someone else. That way I wouldn't have to stay up at night and I'd have someone to help keep watch. A lot of the other Tributes were already allying. I wasn't interested in more than one ally. They'd just get in my way. I wanted someone unassuming and quiet, someone I could outrun if I had to.

The boy from Ten seemed like a good choice. He kept to himself and didn't look overconfident. I didn't think our alliance would last long, since he'd probably die, but he'd help me for a few days. I poked around the Games building until I found him on the observation deck drinking tea.

"You looking for an ally?" I asked. No need to hem and haw. I wanted an ally. If he did too, we could work together. I'd be a good ally and he'd be dumb not to consider it.

"I was considering it," he said. He took my frankness in stride and didn't even put down his tea.

"How about me?" I asked. He looked me over.

"What are your qualifications?" he said. I squared my shoulders and stood tall.

"I'm strong, I'm smart, I learn quick, I can build a fire or shelter, I'm a good shot, and I'm usually a friendly guy," I said. I hadn't exactly learned how to build a fire or shelter yet, but I knew I could learn in two days, tops.

"That is impressive," Arden said. "Are you sure I measure up?"

"You'll do," I said with a cheerful smile.

"Then I guess I can't refuse," he said. His voice was so soft and polite I couldn't tell if he was sarcastic or not, but he shook my hand and confirmed it.

"But enough about me. What are you good at?" I asked as I took a seat next to him. He offered me one of his cookies. It was dry and crunchy. Someone messed up in the kitchens.

"I thought I'd learn to shoot a bow. I don't think I'm brave enough to kill someone with a knife," he said.

"Hey, good idea. I think I'd rather use a sword, though. They look really cool. Of course I'd rather not fight at all, but I need to be able to if I have to," I said. I wanted to ally with Arden for utility, but it seemed I'd also picked a good match in personality. I liked to joke around a bit, and Arden had a thick skin. We were going to get along well.

* * *

 **Arden Grake**

As soon as Buckwheat was out of sight, he was out of mind. It wasn't that he was forgettable. It was just that I was consumed with worries about my family. Were they all right without me? My little brothers could be a royal pair of terrors. It was all my parents could do to keep them in line, and I tried to help as much as I could. It was like we were a family of three parents and two children. I knew it was silly, but I felt guilty getting Reaped when I should have been helping.

I'd always worried about letting my parents down. They always knew what to do and what they were doing in life. They had everything figured out and all I had were questions. Even in the limited opportunities of Ten, I wanted to make sure I made them proud. It wasn't enough for me to be a farmer or a butcher. I wanted to be something better than that. But in the end, I didn't even know what I wanted. They had their lives all planned out and I knew I wanted to put on a good show, but I didn't know what that was. I wanted to be a good example for my little brothers. If they grew up and saw I was a deadbeat, they'd have no reason to be different.

 _Not that it matters anymore,_ I thought. I didn't have a future. I wouldn't have to worry about disappointing anyone anymore. I just hated the pain I was going to cause them when I died. My only consolation was that I wouldn't be around to see it. My heart ached inside me as I thought about what was going to happen. I wasn't going to disappoint them, but I was never going to make them proud either.

 _Unless I win._ Having a Victor in the family would certainly be something to be proud of. It was the best future anyone in Ten could hope to have, even if it was an impossible dream for us. If I won, I could be there for them and give them the support they needed. My parents wouldn't have to worry about raising my brothers anymore. They'd have time to do what they wanted and we could be a real family.

All my life I'd worried about my future. Now the decision was made for me. I had one chance, all or nothing. I'd give my family the world or I'd fail them. I never thought the pressure could get even worse. Now, in addition to success or failure, my actions would dictate my life or death. I had to be stronger than ever, and it scared me.


	21. Silver and Gold

Ree Morning

No matter where I went, it felt like I was in the way. I would have stuck close to my mentor, but Lena was a little scary. I didn't know what to say to her and she seemed preoccupied with her strange thoughts. I kept an eye on her, though, because I was afraid she was going to fall out a window or something.

It was the night before training began, and I had no idea what to do. I couldn't learn anything in the time I had. I certainly couldn't learn enough to stay alive. I planned to _try,_ of course, but that's all I could do: try. I dreaded every moment that passed and wished I could run away. I'd run into the city and no one would ever find me. I would have preferred to starve in an alleyway than go into the Games.

Every floor had its own lounge for the different Districts, but there was a general one below all of them. Anyone could go there, but most of us never did. Most Tributes stayed on their own floors or with their allies, if they weren't exploring the building. When I went into the lounge, I was the only one there. I was hoping to just be with someone, even if I didn't talk to them. I started thinking about the Games and the footage I'd seen in the past. It wasn't long before I started crying. I curled up beside one of the couches and tried to disappear into its fabric.

"Are you okay?" someone asked. I uncurled a little and saw it was Juniper, the girl from Seven. She was really pretty, like a princess. She was a lot older than I was and really tall. She seemed nice from what I'd seen. Sometimes she laughed, even though we were about to go into the Games.

I was glad she was there, but I didn't say anything. I wanted her to stay, but I didn't want to make her deal with my problems. She knelt down next to me and sat back against the couch.

"I bet you're scared," she said. It wasn't mean, though. She sounded understanding. "I am too."

" _You?"_ I asked. Tributes like me and Alinta were small, but Juniper was big. She could take care of herself.

"It's going to be scary in there by myself. I wish I had someone with me," she said. I knew what she meant, but I was ashamed to ally with anyone. I didn't want to drag anyone down with me.

"Maybe you could help me," Juniper said. "Would you stay with me a while? It won't be so scary with someone else." _That_ would be different. If I was helping someone and not getting in the way, it would be okay to be an ally. It probably wouldn't last long. Juniper was strong enough to win by herself. After a few days I'd leave so she could go faster.

"Okay," I said. "Can we just stay here a while?" I felt safer already, but it was even better scrunched behind the couch with my new ally.

* * *

Juniper Brett

I always hated the Games more than anything else in the world. I wanted to save life, and the Games destroyed it. Now that I was stuck in them, I was determined to make something good come of them. If I won, I could use my riches to open hospitals all over Panem for people who couldn't afford Capitol care. And if I didn't win, I could help Ree. In the meantime, helping Ree was my first priority. As soon as I saw her alone and scared, I knew I had to help. That's what the Games were to me: scared little children who should have been playing at home. They were taking Ree's childhood away from her, and I was determined to help her keep as much as she could.

That's how we wound up touring the stores in the Games center. We had set out with the intent to visit every candy store and try something from every one. We didn't have any actual money, but the storekeepers let us sample whatever we wanted. It was good for business to tell people two of the Tributes liked _your_ candy. So far we'd tried thick fudge, powdery fruit-flavored candy, stringy candy that came in a braid, crystallized sugar as hard as a rock, and so much more. If I ever did build all those hospitals, I'd be my own first patient with a dozen cavities.

"What's a roe-cher?" Ree asked as she looked at a bunch of round chocolates with little crunchy things in them. I looked at the label.

"I think that's a foreign word. It's probably roe-shay. Hazelnut rochers," I said. _Hazelnuts..._ Hazelnuts had been my favorite food since I first had one back when I was a toddler. They were the best nuts in the world. They were like a candy all by themselves. _Chocolate-covered_ hazelnuts had to be the best thing in the world. I picked one out and popped it into my mouth.

It _was_ the most delicious thing in the world. The chocolate covered a thin, crispy shell that gave way to a velvety cream that was a mix of more chocolate and nuttiness. In the very center of the ballw as a plain, perfect hazeulnut. It was crunchy and smooth and sweet all at the same time. I could have eaten nothing but those chocolates for the rest of my life.

Then I knew the Games were worth it. It was worth it to be with Ree and be able to help just one Tribute out of all of us stuck in this thing. If I did win, it would be worth it to help so many more people so they wouldn't have to get hurt like we did. And finally, it was worth it for hazelnut rochers.

* * *

 **Silver and Gold works, and now I don't have to think of a name. Thanks!**


	22. Double Trouble

Callista Corral POV

I'd found exactly where I belonged. The Capitol was perfect for me. I adored the fabulous clothes and stunning makeup everyone wore. It was like one long costume party, and I never wanted it to end. Obviously I was going to have to win the Games just so I could stay with my people. Other than my idiot stylist, I loved every bit of it.

It was going to be hard to do it on my own, though. I never liked blood. Really, it was worse than that. I _hated_ blood, and I wasn't about to do any fighting. I needed an ally to do that for me. I was lonely anyway without all my friends. I needed to find someone dumb and gullible like all my friends back home.

I knew I didn't want a boy. Boys were nice, but girl power was where it was at. I didn't want someone much younger or older than me. Younger girls were immature and older girls were bossy. Maybe one year older than me was better. I was always mature for my age.

I knew Lyra was interested in me pretty quickly. As I was scoping her out, she was peeking at me. I wanted to put my best foot forward and show how capable I was, so I made the first move. I strode confidently to her table.

"I think we should be friends," I said. I _did_ want to be friends. It just wouldn't last past the first sign of trouble. I had to look out for number one.

"I'm always good to my friends," Lyra said. Her smile was as big and perfect as mine.

Half an hour later we were still discussing our plans.

"Of course we should spend all our time before the Games together. We can coordinate with our stylists so our interview outfits match," I said.

"Fashion here is so much better than back home," Lyra said. "I'm never going back."

"Me either," I said. "This is a much better place for us. Now, for the Bloodbath. One of us should go and get supplies. You look like you're a lot faster than me, so maybe you should do it."

"Me? Fast? Oh no, you're far more athletic than I am. It would be better if _you..."_

* * *

Lyra Axelle

Callista wasn't really my friend. She was someone I could run faster than and someone I could leave when trouble started. It was fun hanging out with her in the Capitol, but it couldn't last.

I was already thinking about what I'd do when I won. It didn't seem like it would be that hard. The Careers didn't look as strong as everyone said they were, and they were a bunch of dumb jocks. I could outsmart all of them. With Callista as an ally, I even had a decoy to hide behind.

The thing was, I didn't _know_ what I'd do if I won. I knew I didn't like my old life back home, but if I won, my new life would be the same thing. I'd be rich and famous and everyone would stare at me. It was exactly what I wanted to get away from.

 _Maybe I'll run away,_ I thought. I could use my money to change my name and move somewhere far away, like One or something. I would be a Victor, so the Capitol would have to let me. I could do whatever I wanted. I'd like that. I could start a new life doing whatever, like making jewelry or something. I'd be good at that.

Since it was the day before training, I asked Sky for advice. She wouldn't have much to offer, but she _did_ win.

"I made an ally. It's the stupid girl from Ten," I said.

"Why'd you ally with a stupid girl?" Sky asked.

"So I can ditch her, duh," I said.

"I didn't win by ditching stupid allies," she said.

"I'm not you, am I?" I said. "Now what should I train in?"

Sky looked upward in exasperation before she answered. "You're not going to do much damage, so you should focus on avoiding and surviving."

"Why? I can fight," I said. She didn't have to underestimate me. I was tough. "The Careers can't hurt me if I hurt them first."

"Don't start a fight you can't finish, girl," Sky said. That sealed it. She couldn't tell me what to do. When training started, I was going straight to the biggest sword I could find. She'd be tearing her hair out watching me, and I would relish it.


	23. The Sound and the Fury

Delilah Clementine

It was strange looking at all the other Tributes and knowing we'd be killing each other soon. I wondered which of them would attack me- the Careers, of course, but who else? None of the others looked very mean, but survival would make murderers out of all of us. I wasn't at all prepared for a death match.

One of us stuck out more than the others. I knew the boy from Five was named Gabriel. He was easy to remember, since he always had a man following him around. He wasn't getting extra help, though. It was because he couldn't hear. Most of the others probably felt sorry for him. I just thought he must have been extra clever to get on without his ears.

When he looked up and saw me peeking at him, I looked away quickly. I wasn't staring out of pity, so he didn't have to worry about that. He was just sort of cute, and I liked looking at him. I hoped he would lose interest and look away, but it was too late. He got up and started coming toward me. I wanted to bolt away, but I was so shy I couldn't move. His assistant followed him and there was no escape.

He pointed at me, extended his first two fingers and held them in front of his eyes, then put hia hand on his chest.

"He says you're looking at him," his assistant said. My face got hot and I shrank in my chair.

"Sorry," I said, and I felt stupid right away. _He can't hear, dummy._

But somehow he did. He made an okay sign and swirled his hand in front of his face.

"It's okay, because you're pretty," the interpreter said. Gabriel must have read my lips. He was more capable than any of us suspected. He made more signs in a rush of motions.

"Are you looking for allies? He could get used to the view," the interpreter said. I held my hands up to my lips, then moved them when I realized it would stop him from understanding me. I turned my face away when I spoke.

"I don't know," I said. What if he changed his mind and left me? That would be so embarrassing.

Gabriel frowned and craned his neck. When I turned my head I blocked his view again. I was no good at this. He smiled and swept out his arms.

"You're shy, but that's okay. I like to be seen, so I'll do all that stuff," the interpreter said. Gabriel broke into a little dance and I cracked up. He seemed to glow as soon as I did, and I couldn't resist any longer.

"I can't say no to that. You're the coolest person here," I said. With an ally like Gabriel, it was okay if I blended in a little. We did make an odd pair, though. I never would have expected the singer to end up with the deaf boy.

* * *

Gabriel Farad

It was good to make Delilah laugh. She always looked scared from the moment I first saw her. We were all scared, of course, but it seemed like I wasn't as scared as some of us. I knew things would turn out all right in the end. Allah's will was always done. We still weren't sure if it was seven virgins or seven grapes up there, but I was okay with either one. I wouldn't even know what to do with seven virgins. We'd probably just dance all day.

Once Delilah got used to the interpreter, she talked to me just like anyone else. She must have been a singer or something, because her elocution was really good. She didn't mumble or talk through her teeth, and it made it much easier for me to understand.

"I don't think I could kill someone with a weapon," Delilah said. "It's just so wrong."

 _I know I can't either. I'd be worried about their souls. I'm going to try throwing knives, but I'll aim at their legs and only if they're chasing us,_ I signed.

"It's really weird to think we're all going to be fighting soon. We're so young," she said.

 _It's messed up._

"It's sort of funny now, but I always wanted to be a singer," Delilah said. "I guess if I win that can be my talent."

 _You must be a really good singer. I can always tell._ I was happily surprised when she didn't take it as a joke. I couldn't tell if people were in tune, but I _could_ tell if they were on tempo, and that was very important when I was trying to dance.

 _They'll have to let us both win so you can sing while I dance._ It was an impossible dream, but it was a lovely one. Anyone could see Delilah was a total babe. If she wasn't a singer, her talent could have been modeling. It would _have_ to be modeling. She couldn't hide that face from the Capitol. If she won, they wouldn't have to make any changes. It would be a crime to do such a thing.

I was careful to avoid any mention of my handicap. All my life people had pitied me. It seemed like Delilah had forgotten I was deaf, and I didn't want to remind her. If she didn't notice, we were just two normal Tributes.

"Can you teach me some signs?" Delilah asked. I quailed a little inside, but she went on. "Then we can talk without making any noise. We'll have a secret code." That was okay. It was a tool, not a concession.

 _I can teach you the alphabet. Then we can say anything._ I curled my fingers, extended my index finger and touched my thumb to my middle finger.

"Is that an A?" Delilah asked. I shook my head.

"It's a D," the interpreter said.

"Why'd you start there?" she asked.

 _E...L...I...L..._

* * *

 **There's really no fury in this alliance, but it sounded so poetic.**

 **I didn't know how to refer to Gabriel's deafness. He called it a handicap because he's talking about himself and because in this case it is. He wouldn't call someone else's issue a handicap because that would be rude.**

 **Having seen the picture, Delilah _is_ a total babe.**


	24. Alliance Note

**I INTERRUPT THIS STORY TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT BULLETIN!**

 **Arter Wire wanted to join the Heart, Mind, and Soul alliance. I totally forgot about it when I wrote the chapter and remembered after. If Zetan's, Nubu's, and Gizmo's creators read this, please notify me if you object to his addition. I'll be working today and tomorrow. If everyone is okay with it come Tuesday, I will add a section to that chapter and include hi** m.


	25. Training

**Here's all the loners and the training chapter in one. Efficiency FTW.**

* * *

Arter Wire

I didn't know what to think of Tillo, and she didn't know what to think of me. When we discussed training, I told her about my skills with electronics and logic. I asked her what I should train with. She'd always been blunt before, so I didn't know what she meant when she answered.

"You can survive, or you can win," she said. What was that supposed to mean? How could I survive _or_ win? She always seemed so cold and harsh. I didn't want to ask for an explanation, so I just left.

She didn't give me anything else, so I was on my own in training. I watched Nubu and his allies as they worked together to balance their skills and weaknesses. I wanted to ask if I could be with them, but I didn't want to intrude. Surely they'd tell me if I was invited. Nubu was so friendly, even if Zetan and Gizmo were more reserved. If I could get up the courage, I'd ask myself.

I looked at the array of weapons. I imagined swinging a sword and cutting someone's life apart. Throwing a spear and punching through their heart. Slicing an arrow through a head. Beating their mind to a pulp with a mace. It made me shudder, and I wanted to shy away. I felt guilty already, before I even fought. What made it worse was that my imagination filled in a face for my nameless victim. It was my friend Bynary's face. I was revolted at the thought of what any of these weapons would do to him, and wasn't that what I was planning to do? All of these children had names and faces just like my friends. What would Bynary and Voltz think when they saw me wielding those weapons and aiming them at other children?

That's what she meant. All the Victors knew it and we could all see it in their eyes. You can win the Games. You can survive the Games. But you can't do both. Body or soul, only one remains.

* * *

 **Byke Sainz**

My opponent better start praying. I clutched my knife in a fist so the blade poked out horizontally and impressively menacingly. I snaked it back and forth before I struck like a cobra and buried in the dummy's torso. Something like that would immediately kill you. Back when I was little, I used to tell the other kids I knew a way to kill a man with one blow. They thought I was making it up, but they had no idea. You just have to know how people are put together. If you do it right, you can win any fight.

I hoped the Careers were watching as I continued my attacks. They'd probably ask me to join them, and then I could take them down from within. Otherwise, they'd be scared of me and they'd leave me alone until I decided to attack. I brought my knife across the dummy's face in a series of zigzagging slashes. If he actually had skin, it would have looked so cool.

My stomach churned with excitement. My breath was quick as I thought about the moment the gong would go off and the killing would start. I wondered who would come for me first. Maybe the boy from Four with the axe? Its handle was as long as I was tall. It made me shiver when I thought about it. _But it doesn't matter. He can't get me because I'll get him first._ There was no reason for me to be scared. I didn't have to worry about them, and it would be silly to get nervous.

I was so ready I almost wished the Games would never start. It just wasn't fair to the others. I wished I could run away and never come back so they wouldn't have to fight me. I could go back to my mother, who was probably really worried about me. I could stay with her and not leave the house for a while, so she'd feel better. Of course, she'd feel better when I won. Then she wouldn't have to be scared any more.

* * *

 **Harmony Griffith**

The survival station was more crowded than I thought. The others must have learned their lessons from the Ice Games and last year. Last time, the Arena was rocky and barren, and the only things to eat were lizards and moss. I waited until there was a lull before I went.

"Hello," I said to the attendant. He was short and ruddy. We looked as different as two species from a fantasy story. "Can you teach me some things about surviving?"

"No, I don't know that stuff," he said, and he laughed. His eyes twinkled when I broke into a surprised smile. "Just kidding. Of course I can. I'm Jovius."

"I'm Harmony," I said. I was glad he introduced himself. Now someone in the Capitol knew me. He didn't have to worry about the Games. Whatever happened to me, he'd be there for years to remember me. I hoped he did.

"Every human has four basic needs: water, food, shelter, and temperature. In most scenarios, the first thing to secure is shelter. You can die overnight without shelter. After that is water, and then food. Except in a desert. Then water comes first," Jovius said. We went over ways to make shelters with different materials, like snow and grass. I tried to make a fire with the bow he showed me, but it seemed like I'd freeze before I got it lit.

"What about a weapon? What can I make with stuff that's lying around?" I asked. Jovius' face fell.

"Ah, yes. You have one more survival need, don't you? In my experience with the Games, defense ranks above food but below water and shelter. After you have those secured, you should make a weapon. Since you're less experienced with fighting, you want to stay as far away from your opponent as possible. A spear is good and easy to make. You should harden it in your fire to make it stronger," he said. It didn't seem right discussing weapons and killing with such a jovial man. I wished we could keep on making shelters and hiding in them. But this was the Hunger Games, and here, survival and death went hand in hand.

* * *

 **Austin Dallas POV**

 _They didn't show the training room on television,_ I thought. Then why did it look so familiar? It was like I'd been in the room before. They must have shown some clips of Jay training and I just didn't remember it before.

Even though it was boring, I planned to use a spear. _Yeah yeah, just like Jay,_ I thought. But I _wasn't_ Jay. I wasn't as good as he was, for one. I needed to practice more. I also didn't know if I could use it like he could. I'd seen what death did to a family, and I didn't want to make another little brother go through what I had. But then, I also didn't want my own little brother to see me die like he'd already seen Jay.

A lot of Tributes were already in alliances. It happened so fast I didn't even notice it, and I wished things had turned out differently. I wasn't a warrior. I had little chance of winning on my own. I searched the room for the other loners and tried to figure out which ones also wanted allies. The boy from Eight kept peeking at one of the alliances. Maybe if that didn't work out he'd give me a look. Two of the Careers were on their own, but they wouldn't want me. The annoying boy from Six was raising a horrible racket as he savaged a dummy. He was trying to make it look like he was a master martial artist, but he just looked like a nut. Better no ally than allying with him.

It felt natural to hold a spear. I wasn't that skilled and I didn't always hit my target, but there was a comforting muscle memory to it. I'd done it back home and now I was just refining my skills. My arm relaxed into the proper posture and it was more about feeling the target than aiming it. If I'd had time to master my weapon at home and wasn't most likely about to die, I might have gotten really good at it. As it was, I'd make the most of the time I had.

* * *

 **Arter is now in the Mind, Body, Soul alliance. Instead of writing another meeting POV I'm going to leave his here and just have them meet offscreen because I am lazy and I want to start the private sessions. Now they need a new name, though. Mind, Body, Soul, Life maybe? Arter's not really the alliance's life, but it's the most poetic option.**


	26. Private Session Report

ATTN: HEAD GAMEMAKER TITIAN QIN

SUBJECT: PRIVATE SESSION REPORTS

* * *

DISTRICT ONE MALE

NAME: JYNX SUSURRUS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: AXE, SWORD, COMBAT, SURVIVAL, HOTNESS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Jynx was super good at everything. He tried just about every weapon in the room except the long distance ones. But then he did something _really_ amazing. He was working really hard with those big ol' axes and he got all sweaty. He took off his shirt and- just, he has to win. Panem needs him. The ladies of Panem and most of the men need him.

STRENGTHS: Superhot, weaponry, general Career skills. He will definitely get sponsors.

WEAKNESSES: He didn't care for the long range weapons and it was hard to see what he was most good at because he did so many things.

ODDS: 10:1

NOTES: Call me.

* * *

DISTRICT ONE FEMALE

NAME: VICTORY AMARINTHINE

SKILLS ASSESSED: ARCHERY, THROWING KNIVES, SPEAR, SHRUIKEN

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: Clearly, Victory likes to attack from afar, and I predict she will get the most kills in the Bloodbath. She was of course competent in all her selections and is a classically skilled Career Tribute.

STRENGTHS: General Career skills, confidence

WEAKNESSES: Slightly underwhelming in hand to hand combat

ODDS: 10:1

NOTES: Pretty ballsy name choice on your parents' part. What if you had been a total mouse?

* * *

DISTRICT TWO MALE

NAME: ASH SMITH

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: BALLS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Ash waltzed right into our room and started eating our food. Honestly we didn't even know how to react so we let him. In the future we plan to have a barrier between us and the Tributes. Looking back, we're lucky none of them sent an arrow through our heads.

STRENGTHS: Moxie

WEAKNESSES: I don't know his capabilities since he did not demonstrate them

ODDS: ? 15:1?

NOTES: Are they gonna kill your family now?

* * *

DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

NAME: MARY ELLEN WESTLEY

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: AXE

SKILLS ASSESSED: Mary Ellen killed a dummy by decapitating it. She killed a dummy by eviscerating it. She killed a dummy by halving it. She killed a dummy by de-limbing it. She killed a dummy by clobbering it.

STRENGTHS: Creativity and weaponry

WEAKNESSES: Single-mindedness

ODDS: 12:1

NOTES: You sure can kill a guy with an axe.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE MALE

NAME: GIZMO TORRENS  
SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: ELECTRONICS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Gizmo preferred construction to programming and was able to make a bomb with the materials in the room.

STRENGTHS: Intelligence and mechanical ability, alliance

WEAKNESSES: Unpopularity with the Capitol and lack of offensive skills

ODDS: 23:1

NOTES: Gizmo has a criminal record and a history of rebellious behavior.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE FEMALE

NAME: MODDI PEX

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: TRAPS, SURVIVAL

SKILLS ASSESSED: Moddi did well making a trap. She also did passably well making a fire, thoguh this was not intentional. She built her trap across a heating vent and nearly set it ablaze.

STRENGTHS: Passable trap-making and survival, possibly her alliance

WEAKNESSES: Absentmindedness, no weapons skills, possibly her alliance

ODDS: 30:1

NOTES: You're not like most people from Three.

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR MALE

NAME: FLOKI GRIMM

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: AXE, MACE, TRIDENT

SKILLS ASSESSED: Floki was highly competent with all his weapons and showed great zeal in his attacks. He also attempted to show attractiveness, but was not as successful as Jynx.

STRENGTHS: Fervor, weaponry, upbringing

WEAKNESSES: May get carried away in his rage.

ODDS: 10:1

NOTES: Why'd they name you Floki? It's spelled wrong. And wasn't he the bad guy?

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR FEMALE

NAME: MARIS CALDER

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: AGILITY

SKILLS ASSESSED: Maris focused on upper body strength and gymnastics. She dominated our balance course and did back-to-back pullups for the rest of her session.

STRENGTHS: Endurance, agility

WEAKNESSES: Maris did not volunteer and lacks the kill drive of most Careers

ODDS: 16:1

NOTES: I can do a pull-up. _A_ pull-up.

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE MALE

NAME: GABRIEL FARAD

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: STEALTH, SHRUIKEN, THROWING KNIVES

SKILLS ASSESSED: I don't know how a deaf guy can be so sneaky. Gabriel was also good at throwing things. I suspect he wants to attack his opponents when they are out of earshot to even the playing field.

STRENGTHS: Alliance, moderate weapons skills, stealth, hearing ally

WEAKNESSES: He's deaf.

ODDS: 40:1

NOTES: You're not a bad looker either, but it is Jynx who has my heart.

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE FEMALE

NAME: LYRA AXELLE

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: ARCHERY, KNIVES

SKILLS ASSESSED: Lyra hit the outer bullseye with most shots at a moderate range. She plunged a dagger into a dummy's heart, then smirked and bowed at her great achievement.

STRENGTHS: Moderate weapons skills

WEAKNESSES: Likely overconfident and underprepared

ODDS: 28:1

NOTES: You sure showed him who's boss.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX MALE

NAME: BYKE SAINZ

"SKILLS" DEMONSTRATED: EVERYTHING AND NOTHING

"SKILLS" ASSESSED: Byke used every weapon. He used no weapons well.

STRENGTHS: Confidence

WEAKNESSES: Everything else

ODDS: 52:1

NOTES: You're not even cute.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX FEMALE

NAME: REE MORNING

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: KNIVES

SKILLS ASSESSED: Ree clearly did not want to use the knives. I do not think she will make any effort to kill another Tribute.

STRENGTHS: Alliance, likely sponsors

WEAKNESSES: Inability to kill

ODDS: 49:1

NOTES: Sucks, bro.

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN MALE

NAME: ZETAN THOMPSON

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: EDIBLE PLANTS, FIRE

SKILLS ASSESSED: Zetan did well with both of his skills. There was nothing much to note. He is tall and muscular like Jynx but not as magnetically attractive.

STRENGTHS: All-around skills, alliance

WEAKNESS: Lack of offensive skills

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: That was boring.

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN FEMALE

NAME: JUNIPER BRETT

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: PROJECTILES, PLANTS, ROPES

SKILLS ASSESSED: Juniper devised a projectile from a stick she hardened in a fire. She also threw some knives and performed very well on the plants and the rope course.

STRENGTHS: Alliance, commendable weapons skills, agility and survival

WEAKNESSES: Physical frame

ODDS: 19:1

NOTES: That's cool, but I don't think it will win the Games.

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT MALE

NAME: ARTER WIRE

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: THROWING KNIVES, RUNNING, WITTY OBSERVATIONS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Arter was fast and did okay with throwing knives. Then he looked right at me and said "You'd have a hard time in the Games. You couldn't make any allies." I asked why and he said "You've been single a long time." I asked how he knew. "You're playing footsie with the guy beside you and no one's surprised." I was indeed playing footsie with Trachus. Don't be judging me.

STRENGTHS: Scary observant, solid alliance

WEAKNESSES: Low weapons skills and sass mouth

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: I like hot guys, okay? You're just jealous I didn't go for you.

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT FEMALE

NAME: SILVER FLOWER

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SWORD, SURVIVAL

SKILLS ASSESSED: Silver clearly used a weapon only to show she could. She preferred the plants and survival stations and was competent.

STRENGTHS: Possibly her alliance, likely to get sponsors

WEAKNESSES: Lack of offensive skills and bloodlust

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: That's a funny name.

* * *

DISTRICT NINE MALE

NAME: BUCKWHEAT MAGER

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SWORD

SKILLS ASSESSED: Buckwheat was not as skilled with the sword as he thought he was.

SKILLS: Confidence, alliance

WEAKNESSES: Arrogance and lack of skills

ODDS: 40:1

NOTES: You're okay to look at, I guess.

* * *

DISTRICT NINE FEMALE

NAME: HARMONY GRIFFITH

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SHELTERS, STAFF, THROWING KNIVES, CLIMBING

SKILLS ASSESSED: Harmony's shelter was waterproof. She smashed it with her staff. Her knive throwing was average, as was her climbing.

STRENGTHS: Jack-of-all-trades

WEAKNESSES: Master of none

ODDS: 22:1

NOTES: Dang you're a babe though.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN MALE

NAME: ARDEN GRAKE

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: ARCHERY

SKILLS ASSESSED: Arden bombed it. He was shaking so much he didn't hit a single target.

STRENGTHS: Alliance

WEAKNESSES: Performance anxiety

ODDS: 50:1

NOTES: I wish you did better. You're not ugly.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN FEMALE

NAME: CALLISTA CORRAL

STRENGTHS DEMONSTRATED: KNIFE, MIMICRY

SKILLS ASSESSED: At first Callista was hesitant with her knife. Things heated up when she started stabbing it while imitating the voices of the other Tributes begging for their lives. Whether or not she can do the damage, she will certainly psychologically intimidate her opponents.

STRENGTHS: Psychological warfare

WEAKNESSES: Small frame

ODDS: 22:1

NOTES: Callista has a fresh scar on her arm. It is possible she got it during training, which implies inconsistent skill.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN MALE

NAME: AUSTIN DALLAS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: HAND TO HAND COMBAT, SPEAR

SKILLS ASSESSED: Austin clearly used a spear back home. He did a good job with it, and his strategies in hand to hand combat indicated a tactical mind.

STRENGTHS: Weaponry and planning

WEAKNESSES: He doesn't seem like the killing type.

ODDS: 18:1

NOTES: You're not as cute as your brother.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN FEMALE

NAME: DELILAH CLEMENTINE

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: HAND TO HAND COMBAT, KNOT SKILLS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Delilah's skills were above average in combat and rope-tying.

STRENGTHS: Alliance, likely to get sponsors

WEAKNESSES: Lack of offensive skills

ODDS: 24:1

NOTES: That's funny, the singer with the deaf boy.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE MALE

NAME: NUBU SANDERS

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: MACHETE, SURVIVAL

SKILLS ASSESSED: Nubu was okay with his machete but obviously did not like using it. He did better with the survival stuff. At first I thought Nubu was handsomer than Jynx but he's just a bit of a baby-face. I guess the first one really was the best this time.

STRENGTHS: Alliance, likely to get sponsors.

WEAKNESSES: Nubu is kindhearted. He will not kill his allies if they are the last ones.

ODDS: 20:1

NOTES: This is no place for saints.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE FEMALE

NAME: ALINTA FINTAN

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED: SOCIAL SKILLS

SKILLS ASSESSED: Alinta was... different. She walked in and announced "I don't have many skills, so instead I'd like to get to know you. I'm Alinta." Most of us introduced ourselves and she asked about our jobs and whether we liked them. Then she said "I do have one skill. Wanna hear a joke? A skeleton walked into a bar and said 'gimme a beer and a mop.'" After that, Alinta gave us some opinions on the Games. We cut the session short in light of her young age.

STRENGTHS: Honesty and alliance

WEAKNESSES: Honesty, possibly alliance, few real skills

ODDS: 49:1

NOTES: Panem, we can do it. Sponsor this girl a buttload of stuff so we can hear more jokes.

* * *

SENT VIA EXPEDITED MESSENGER

THEODORA HARP


	27. Scores

**JYNX SUSURRUS: 9**

 **VICTORY AMARINTHINE: 10**

 **ASH SMITH: 10**

 **MARY ELLEN WESTLEY: 9**

 **GIZMO TORRENS: 8**

 **MODDI PEX: 4**

 **MARIS CALDER: 8**

 **FLOKI GRIMM: 10**

 **LYRA AXELLE: 7**

 **GABRIEL FARAD: 4**

 **BYKE SAINZ: 3**

 **REE MORNING: 2**

 **ZETAN THOMPSON: 6**

 **JUNIPER BRETT: 6**

 **ARTER WIRE: 7**

 **SILVER FLOWER: 6**

 **BUCKWHEAT MAGER: 6**

 **HARMONY GRIFFITH: 6**

 **ARDEN GRAKE: 2**

 **CALLISTA CORRAL: 8**

 **AUSTIN DALLAS: 8**

 **DELILAH CLEMENTINE: 6**

 **NUBU SANDERS: 7**

 **ALINTA FINTAN: 6**

* * *

Jynx Susurrus: "Yeah, laugh it up. It's _hilarious._ I'm dying."

Victory Amarinthine: "You did good. You got a nine. It would have been _really_ cool if you got a _ten._ I wonder who got one of those."

Ash Smith: _A lot of us did well this year, even the outer Districts._

Mary Ellen Westley: _Pray's gonna be pissed._

Gizmo Torrens: _I should have been more cautious. Now I'm a threat._

Moddi Pex: _But I tried my best._

Maris Calder: _Why would they go through this on purpose?_

Floki Grimm: _I want my target to be Nubu. He will fight well._

Lyra Axelle: _I told you I had this._

Gabriel Farad: _Poor little deaf boy has no chance, is it?_

Byke Sainz: _That means 13. They typed it wrong._

Ree Morning: _I know I can't win, but I'm still going to try._

Zetan Thompson: _I did better than that. They messed up._

Juniper Brett: _Dead average. Yikes, I_ hope _not "dead" average._

Arter Wire: _It's okay. Nubu did worse than me so I'm not dragging the alliance down._

Silver Flower: _Alinta did good too. We'll need to watch out in case someone attacks Moddi._

Buckwheat Mager: _As if! More like a ten._

Harmony Griffith: _So many of them did better than me._

Arden Grake: _Bollocks._

Callista Corral: _Just what I'd expect from me._

Austin Dallas: _I can work with this._

Delilah Clementine: _That's not fair. Gabriel is more than that._

Nubu Sanders: _I did the worst. That's so embarrassing._

Alinta Fintan: _Ha, I did better than Nubu and he's 18! Aw yeah!_

* * *

 **Arden's form noted he had English characteristics, so naturally I added some stereotypes.**

 **Sorry, I forgot Delilah! Not to worry, she now has a voice. Or a thought, anyway.**


	28. Interviews

Harlequin Marceau

 _I can do this. I'm ready. I was born for this._

"Presenting our host-" That was my cue, and the curtain swept aside.

"The great lady herself, Harlequin Marceau!" I held out my arms in triumph and the crowd went wild as I took my seat. When I first started, I was sure I'd never measure up to Seutonius, and I definitely wasn't sure I was fit to present the Games to Panem. I was right about the first part, but I didn't have to be Seutonius. I was Harlequin, and the people liked me. After all, there's no accounting for taste.

Victory could have been a television personality herself. She was perfectly poised, from her kawaii white dress to her wide-eyed enthusiasm. I respected her photogenic appeal, and I went along with it.

"You seem ready to get started," I said.

"Oh, yes. I'm so glad I can be here. I just hope I do a good job," she said as she tugged at her skirt. She batted her eyes and giggled, and I was reminded why we always pander to the lowest common denominator. She had the crowd eating from her hand.

In my opinions, Jynx's blue suit was much more attractive than his garish parade getup. It seemed to suit his personality better as well.

"I don't think I have to worry. I have this under control," he said. Most of the girls in the audience were just staring at his fine figure, but I wondered what went on under there. I knew when I was nervous, I liked to hide behind formal clothes for an illusion of confidence. Was he the same way?

I didn't have the same doubts about Ash. From his relaxed posture to his open shirt, I knew he was here to party.

"I'm really looking forward to the fights and the mutts. I want to _earn_ my Victory, you know?" he said. Careers always seemed like contract killers to me, and I found myself hoping it would be the mutts who earned the Victory.

Mary Ellen's skirt and hair were as sharp and straight as her tongue.

"I've been training for ages. I want to cash in my license to kill," she said, and she laughed. I laughed along with her.

"Yes, why don't you start with Alinta? She's dangerous. Maybe you can get Silver too when she stops to help," I said. The crowd stopped laughing and Mary Ellen's eyes shot daggers as sharp as her outfit.

"Thanks for letting me be on the show. You're so pretty. My stylists are nice too and I love this dress they gave me. I never got to wear makeup back home. Oh my goodness you're pretty," Moddi said. I didn't know how to fix her interview even if I could have gotten a word in. My legs were crossed as tightly as I could in secondhand embarrassment.

Gizmo had a non-answer for everything. Plainly he didn't want to show his cards, and I could respect that. After a few rounds of real questions, I followed his lead and we discussed the current weather and his favorite part of the Capitol: the feather beds.

"What brought you to our little get-together?" I asked Floki.

"I want to make my family proud and my name great," he said. _Your family's gonna be proud you killed a bunch of kids? Tough crowd._

"You looked almost nervous when your name was called," I said to Maris. She waved a hand.

"I just wasn't expecting to get Reaped when I was planning to volunteer. Don't worry about me. I'm totally ready," she said. Obviously she didn't appreciate criticism, and she was resentful for the rest of the interview. Excuse _me_ for thinking death might be scary.

"I just wish I had stiffer competition. This is going to be boring," Lyra said. That set me off, and I hit her with the hard questions I save just for Tributes that annoy me. Sadly, the crowd was dumber than I was witty, and Lyra left the stage to great applause. It cheered me up a bit when she tripped, but she played it off like she meant to. Faker.

"They'll never hear me coming," Gabriel's interpreter said. The crown let out a sigh of sadness and pity. Gabriel didn't need to hear it to know their thoughts. "It's just as well I can't hear them moaning about how tragic it is," he communicated tartly, even though it wasn't his voice,

"It's always good when people underestimate you," I said. Gabriel had it hard, but he was deaf, not stupid.

"What skills do you-"

"I'm fast and smart. I should be able to get what I need at the Bloodbath and get away," Byke said. _It's going to be like that, is it?_

"Your training score was awfully-"

"Yeah, they weren't watching carefully enough," he said.

"Oh, I _do HOPE THEY WERE!"_

"It was hard when my parents died. I want to make sure I can help other people like me. I just want to make Panem better," Ree said. That girl had the sobstory down cold. I didn't even need to help. When life gives you lemons...

For whatever reason, Zetan was wearing a baseball shirt and cap. He must have been going for the casual approach, and it matched his answers.

"It's very nice here. Thank you all for all the wonderful food and things," he said to the crowd. Flattery will get you everywhere.

Juniper was still wearing her namesake berries, but this time her dress and makeup were blue.

"Last year, River Summers came very close to Victory. I intend to finish what she started," she said. _You know what, Godspeed._

We don't judge in the Capitol, but I wasn't expecting to see Arter come onstage wearing a lovely, elegant evening gown with a dark blue train.

"Someone in the Capitol doesn't like me," he said as he arranged its folds and tried to sit down.

"Truly, we will never forget you," I answered.

"We don't get many volunteers from Eight. Can you tell us about that?" I asked Silver. She looked up offstage.

"I don't know. It just wasn't right to stand and watch someone else die. Sometimes you have to do what's right no matter how much it hurts," she said. That was getting dangerous, so we spent the rest of our time discussing her dress. She was a hardcore chick, though. The Gamemakers had their eyes on her.

"I know I'll win. I'm the smartest one here," Buckwheat said with a cocky smirk.

"I guess the Careers shouldn't go after you. They definitely shouldn't go after you at the Bloodbath. They'd embarrass themselves," I said. What, ruin a Tribute's chances? _Me?_

Harmony couldn't have known how alluring she was. Her dark skin glistened in the light and she looked like a glowing angel.

"I don't know what I'll do. I don't want to hurt anyone," she said. Even a simple statement like that sounded wise from her.

"You can't fool us. You're hiding something with that score," I said to Arden. He blushed firetruck red and wrung his hands.

"Uh, yeah. There's a lot I didn't show. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," he said, and he laughed nervously. Poor kid had terminal stage fright. I'd seen it a million times.

"I like to entertain the others," my voice came from Callista's mouth. "They think it's hilarious," Ree's voice said. "But about that heckler who keeps booing," Floki said. "I'm a big fat idiot," the heckler's voice said. Okay, that was cool.

"Here you are, following your brother's footsteps," I said to Austin. Sometimes I'm a real bonehead. _Hey dipstick, way to remind him of his dead brother._

"People always say that. I guess I should be proud, since Jay was my hero, but I'm not him. I'm Austin, and I have my own bag of tricks," Austin said. I'll be darned if he didn't put _me_ in my place.

"I hear you're quite the singer," I said to Delilah. She clasped her hands in her lap.

"I thought you might say that. I was supposed to sing the day after the Reaping. Can I sing here instead?" she asked.

"Take it away. This will be a treat," I said. She stood up and composed herself. She was trembling with stage fright and insecurity, and I hoped it went all right.

"The seasons change, nothing's ever the same," she started. Her voice was quiet and I was worried when it sounded a little off-tune. She noticed too, and she paused.

"The crops are fading, the c-cold comes upon us..." her voice grew strained and she faltered. She ran offstage and I had to force myself not to run after her to comfort her. We all get scared sometimes.

"How do you like the Capitol?" I asked Nubu.

"It's okay," he said. If he hadn't been wearing a microphone I wouldn't have heard. His answers continued in that vein as I tried to put him at ease. He started to loosen up after a few tries.

"Is anyone at home waiting for you?" I asked.

"My pet chipmunk, Chip," he said. And with that, our time was up.

"You seem confident and ready to go," I said to Alinta. She looked cute as a bug with her high bun and her lacy, flowery dress trailing on the ground.

"I think it will be fun to live in the wild. I can make a camp and find my own food. I just hope the Careers don't come after me," she said. It was so casual, like it was no big deal a bunch of hunters were trying to kill her.

"I hope so too," I said. But then, I hoped that for all of them.

Except Byke.

* * *

 **For shame. Maris lied through her teeth.**

 **It's voting time! I'm calling for your first round of votes early so everyone has time to get them in before I get to the Bloodbath, which should be in two more chapters. I'll put more information in a new chapter, since there's a bit to list.**


	29. Voting Info

**Voting info:**

 **Everyone with a character in the Games gets three votes for who lives and three votes for who dies. That way you can pick your own and leave some options open.**

 **Ideally, votes should be resubmitted after every chapter so I know if they're the same or if they've changed. I'll be pacing myself this time around so I don't go five chapters and kill ten Tributes before people get to vote. I'll still write fast, but if the votes aren't in, I'll write deathless chapters.**

 **Votes can be PM or review, but PMs are preferable both to maintain suspense and so people don't get mad if you vote for their Tribute.**

 **About halfway through I switch to only voting for who should win. That simplifies things and also helps people start thinking about who the ultimate winner should be and why.**

 **If you're going to be gone a long time, you can tell me to lock your votes so you can still participate.**

* * *

 **I have no rules and want no influence in how you vote, but there are two things you should know:**

 **1\. It's your job to pick who wins. It's my responsibility to make it good. You don't have to worry about your pick being unrealistic. If, for some Godforsaken reason, you pick Byke, I'll just have to come up with a way to make it realistic. Vote for your pick and logic be darned. I'll take care of it. Also, for you Career lovers, this is a prime chance to force me to have a Career Victor and override my biases.**

 **2\. I don't think this will be a problem, but the quality of this Games depends on you. I suggest you consider who the best Victor would be and not just the nicest or most entertaining Tribute. When I pick Victors, it's always someone you all have mostly liked and I've gotten good ones so far. Also, last time you picked Tillo, who was pretty cool, so I don't anticipate a crummy Victor this time around.**


	30. Interminably Long Penultimate Chapter

Callista Corral POV

A lot happened last night, before the sessions. It was the last day of training. I was fiddling around at the knife station, since I knew a few things from my disastrous time butchering. The attendant kept saying how talented I was and that I should try harder, so I finally did. I picked up one of the larger knives and tried to stab a dummy with it. I say _tried_ because I tripped over my shoelace and cut a big gash in my arm. The attendant called for medics and they bandaged me as the other Tributes swarmed around and I was squalling up a storm. They wouldn't put new skin on it because it might give me an advantage, so until I won I was stuck with a big nasty scar.

At first I hated the scar, but then I got to thinking. Back home, I was the "pretty" one. I _was_ pretty, but sometimes I wanted to be more than that. Coming to the Capitol meant I could pretty much reinvent myself. No one here knew me, so I could be anything. Instead of being the pretty one, I could be the smart one or the daring one. I quickly decided on the "brave" one. Maybe someone would attack Lyra and I would fly to her defense, heroically defending her.

That lasted about a day. After our scores were announced, the Careers went around the building harrassing those of us with higher scores and mocking those with lower ones. When they came to me and Lyra, they started with her. Ash got all in her face, saying he was coming straight for her at the Bloodbath. Brave Callista would have told him to go away, but instead I ran into the bathroom. I was a terrible hero.

The Games were tomorrow. It was my only chance to be the new, brave Callista. I'd already messed up once, and it wasn't going to happen again. I'd have a lot more scars before the Games were over, and I was going to earn them.

* * *

 **Arden Grake**

Thirty-eight Games had already passed. Discounting the Resurrection Games, that made eight hundred and seventy-four lost children. Someone said that when one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when a million die, it's a statistic. In years past, I'd never even been able to make sense of twenty-three children dying. Eight hundred and seventy-four seemed impossible. It was nothing more than a number. It was a sideways infinity followed by an empty ellipse and a collection of lines and angles. It was nothing but symbols for information. I couldn't grast what it meant.

How many children had died after sleeping in the bed I was lying in? Thirty-eight minus two. If anything remained, this building had to be the most haunted in Panem. But nothing was left. Hundreds of children, a village of children, were gone, and it seemed like nobody cared. Friends and family wept, and then life went on. We walked on soil stained with blood and no one thought of it.

Eight hundred and seventy-four wasn't a number. It was children. One might have been a little girl who was measured for her first bra by a stylist and not her mother. One might have been a boy my own age who worked day and night in a factory so his family could eat. Or maybe one was a selfish bully who thought of nothing but himself. It didn't matter their characters or their "worthiness". The Capitol was jury and executioner when there was no crime but their own.

 _For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing... for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun._

I didn't remember where I heard that. It was a long time ago, and it was written somewhere back in ancient times. That was the worst of the evils I knew. After all we'd done to them, we didn't even care. We stood back and let it happen more, and no one spoke against the ghastly evil. Even if nothing was in the room with me, I saw them in my heart. Individuals, priceless, irreplaceable humans crying out their sufferings and condemning our lack of memory. Almost certainly, I'd soon be one of them.

* * *

 **Buckwheat Mager**

Chimera said I needed my rest before the Games began. He was right, but I wished I'd had more time to plan things with Arden. He was so timid and he did so terribly during his session. He needed me to be there to help him. I had to take the lead and make sure he was protected. It was my responsibility as the stronger partner.

I'd always been blessed with an analytical mind, and that was going to be my edge in the Games. I went through all the possibilities, dissecting each one in turn. If a Career was next to me, I'd have to run out and away while he ran in to get weapons. If they were on either side of me I'd have to run around one and keep him between us. They had so many advantages in training and cruelty. They didn't expect my own skills, and I'd have to be careful to use them to their full potential. If it was younger Tributes, I could grab a few things before I got out. If it was a desolate Arena I'd get mostly survival stuff. If it was urban I should grab weapons instead.

I hoped Arden wasn't scared. Of course we all were, but he had a little extra reason to be. I was mostly scared for him and the others, but anything could happen and I had to admit I was scared for myself, too. You can have all the right stuff and still die if a Career gets it in his head to chase you down or an elephant mutt stomps you. And then what? Nothing, or another life? Judging by the problems and pains of this one, I wasn't sure which was better.

I'd do my best to encourage Arden while we were together, and when I went out on my own I'd leave him some supplies. He was a good guy. He was a nice friend and he had a great sense of humor. It was just there could only be one winner.

* * *

 **Delilah Clementine**

 _I wish we could stay here forever._ Gabriel had taken to finger-spelling for me so we didn't need an interpreter. It was late, and we were the only ones in the common lounge. We'd been there all evening. When the sun went down he faced one wall and prayed. He looked wonderfully solemn and transcendental, and though most of his signs weren't legible to me, I saw him spell my name. It made me feel precious and protected to know someone actually prayed for me.

 _How much longer do we have?_ We were both thinking it, and neither of us would say it. Either or both of us could be dead in hours. We had one day left, and we'd known each other so briefly that one day was a large proportion of our relationship. The same conclusions came to both of us. Things never would have gone so fast if we had more time, but we didn't. Whatever possibilities we wanted to explore had to come now.

 _Before we go, will you show something to me?_

"Why not?" Stories told of old men and their sad, weary smiles. That shouldn't have been me.

 _Sing for me._

"What? Why would you want that?" I asked. Not because he was deaf, but because I did such a bad job. I felt blood rush to my cheeks and turned away.

 _Not for them. Only me,_ I saw in the corner of my eye. It was the hardest thing he could have asked, and that's what made me want to give it. Not everyone gets a chance to give something so great to someone they care about. I nodded, and he placed one hand gently on my neck. People listened to me all the time, but no one had ever _felt_ my song before. What was perhaps my last song was, for him, my first.

" _Remnant of a thought_

 _Sweet caressing hour_

 _a rich man's ransom_

 _Is worth this pain"_

 _"Wilting flower_

 _The mystery speaks_

 _They cover the hillside_

 _Eternity's span"_

The song went on, telling of love's fragility and endurance, but I couldn't bear it. Already my voice was thick with emotion, and I felt the trembling in my throat against Gabriel's fingers. Hthe joy from his shining eyes would far outlast the humiliation from the crowd. As he felt my song, so I saw his voice when his fingers moved.

 _Now let me show you something._ He took my hand and we snuck through the silent halls. The tourists were gone and the staff was deep in the bowels of the building planning for tomorrow, so the rooms were ours alone. Gabriel opened a door and lights snapped on, illuminating an expanse of gleaming, smooth wood stretching before us. Velvet curtains draped the windows, and chandeliers like crystal waterfalls dotted the ceiling. I'd never been in a ballroom before, and it was everything the fairytales said.

 _Dance with me._ In that room, I was a princess, and I couldn't refuse a prince's request. Gabriel guided me into the right stance with one hand in his and one on his shoulder as his other rested on my waist. Without any music we circled the room in a simple, three-count step, and his flawless rhythm spread to me as we moved together.

* * *

 **What do you know, it was only 1600 words. What happened was that Delilah's POV was long and complex. I went back and saw everyone else's were shorter, so instead of truncating hers I expanded theirs.**

 **I've never had to write so much poetry for a story about juvenile murder before. However, I have embraced the new experience and started a study of the great poets to ensure all my songs don't sound the same. This time I went for a modern free verse approach using examples from E.E Cummings and Carl Sandberg.**

 **I have your votes if you've sent them, but don't forget if you haven't yet! Also don't forget to vote for the Arena. I've recorded all the votes I have so if you sent one in you're covered, but I think I'm missing one or two of you and we're at a tie right now.**


	31. Into the Tubes

Peridot Clarity

Victory was ready to make her name real. She had the training behind her and the Capitol supporting her. She'd done everything right and I knew she could do it. Anything could happen in the Games, but I was confident this time. The only thing I cautioned her was to focus on the Games and not just her partner. Jynx may have been gotten everything else handed to him, but he wasn't a factor here. This was her time.

"Show him who's boss," I said.

* * *

Crag Steiner

I loved seeing my Tributes wait for the tubes. The other mentors had to deal with whining Tributes begging for mercy and pounding on the glass. Mary Ellen and Ash were disciplined and ready. They waited for their tubes with anticipation, not cowardice. Any District can make children, but only Two can make warriors.

* * *

Acee Hal

"Can't we just have a few more days? I don't want to go," Moddi said. Whereas Gizmo was hiding his terror behind silence, Moddi wore her heart on her sleeve. She grabbed my hand and clung t me through her tears until they dragged her away. I'd be more human if I was like her, but I'd never be able to bear it.

* * *

Shelle McDan

I didn't pity Jonah. He was probably hiding behind the tube trying to avoid a chanting, rampaging madman. Maris wasn't my conventional mentee but at least she wasn't psychotic.

"I never even wanted this," Maris said. She was as bitter and resigned as she was frightened.

"You got a raw deal," I said. "I hope you can make something good of it."

* * *

Sky Levings

Lyra resolutely did everything she could to aggravate me. She trained with weapons, she got a better score than she should have, she constantly reminded me of my Games, and she slipped in sarcasm wherever she could. I should have been happy to wash my hands of her and happy to know that certainly, in a few days, I'd be done with this. But I wasn't.

* * *

Toby Cash

Someone was crying. Things were flying through the air. Someone ele was with him. She was crying too. I didn't understand why they were so sad. The world was warm and colorful and there was nothing to be sad about. The boy split into three people and then they were flying away.

* * *

Sequoia Wilson

I didn't like Zetan. Once a bully, always a bully. I wished his allies weren't so trusting. I could tell he was calculating. He was planning how to save himself at the Bloodbath.

"Can I do this?" Juniper asked me.

"If I can do it, you can," I assured her. It wasn't that simple. I won the fourth Games. There were no Careers then. Tributes from Seven were the only ones who knew how to use weapons. Our other Victor, Paul, won the second Games. She had a chance. One in twenty-four, the same as anyone else.

* * *

Tillo Peters

"I don't want to die. Tell them I'll do anything. I'll fight for them. I'll kill people. Just don't do this," Arter begged. I turned away in revulsion and regarded Silver. I could see her terror, but she had my respect. She wasn't a coward. She was doing what was right despite her fear, and that's what courage is. She was fighting for something more. Justice, freedom... I understood.

* * *

Chimera Ilium

"Attention, please. I have guided dozens of Tributes since I started here, and they've all died. I miss them all and I'll miss you too if you die. So please, try your best to win."

Harmony just stared. Buckwheat started laughing.

"Oh thank you. I was going to go slap a Career upside the head. Your idea is much better," he said. Maybe I didn't phrase that right.

* * *

Bambi Kirkland

Calista was crumpled on the ground, wailing. Ardun was next to her with his arms around her.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay," he said.

"No I'm not! How can I be okay when I'm about to die?" Calista wailed.

"You're not going to die. You can do this. You're strong," Ardun said. Calista swiped her hand at her eye and got up.

"You're right. I can do this. I'm brave," she said. She stood tall and proud as the tubes took them away.

* * *

Peppermint Wilson

Austin was staring at the floor instead of the tubes. Delilah was pressed against the wall beside the door like it would open and she could run away.

"Something's weird," he said as he regarded the tile.

"They had to retile after an explosion last year, but I suppose you mean the Games in general," I said. He was lost in thought, and he didn't answer. We all have different ways to react to grief, but that's just weird.

* * *

Demi Bottle

I had to keep hoping. I had to keep hoping Alinta or Nubu would come back, no matter how remote the chances were. I couldn't go on like this. We had to have a Victor. I was made to style outfits, not prepare people for death.

"Keep an eye on Zetan. He's not trustworthy. Stay with Silver. She'll keep you safe. If someone attacks her, run. Don't try to help her. There's nothing you can do," I said. I kept up my advice until they were almost out of sight.

"Just come back."

* * *

 **I switched most of the mentors to get an alternate perspective. I kept Acee because the other Victors are canon and I'm always afraid I'll mess them up. Bambi stayed because I wanted to give him maximum exposure for his first recorded year as mentor.**

 **I want to make sure all the votes are in, but if I wait until tomorrow I'll actually have to wait until Tuesday since I work. I'll count my votes and if everyone seems to be there I'll go ahead with the Bloodbath.**


	32. Countdown

Junie Brett

The first thing I noticed about the Arena was the moisture. The air was heavy with humidity, and it was warm on my short-sleeved brown shirt. I should have expected that when the stylists put me in knee-length shorts. When my eyes reached the surface, I saw the Cornucopia was carved roughly out of a slab of sandstone. It was surrounded by a thick forest of palm trees and ferns.

* * *

Ash Smith

The Arena was a rainforest? It wasn't the most interesting, but it was better than a desert. My platform was still rising, and I looked to see who was around me. My primary target was Juniper, since we knew she would have survival skills. Unforunately, she was eight platforms away. I was about to curse my luck when something shook the Arena and showed me how wrong I was to call it boring.

* * *

Alinta Fintan

 _Oh my goodness! DINOSAUR!_

I thought we were in a plain old rainforest, but then a giant dinosaur busted through the trees! It was one of the ones with the crazy long necks, and it was so big it sounded like a tank. It hardly seemed to see us, and it walked closer to the Cornucopia. I was glad I was on the other side, since it could squish me flat without noticing.

* * *

Gabriel Farad

 _What's everyone staring at? Oh..._

I thought it was an earthquake, but no, it was just a dinosaur. It was so cool I almost forgot the Games were about to start. Then it started getting closer to my platform. Soon it was only a step away and I almost jumped out of the way before I remembered the mines. Not that it would matter if it stepped on me. I closed my eyes and braced myself.

* * *

Delilah Clementine

 _That's not fair! He can't get out of the way!_

I watched in horror as the dinosaur lifted its foot. At that moment, the timer appeared over the Cornucopia and chimed. The dinosaur jumped back at the noise and movement and ran back into the forest with a crash. My relief was cut short when I remembered what the timer was counting down to.

 _54, 53, 52..._

* * *

Victory Amarinthine

That was cute. The numbers on the countdown were styled to look like crisscrossing bones. I looked inside the Cornucopia to assess the supplies. This year was a good one. There were piles of weapons and supplies everywhere, and there were duplicates of any popular weapons. I didn't see any food, but there was more deeper inside.

 _41, 40, 39..._

* * *

Byke Sainz

Now I was _definitely_ going to need a weapon. The cavemen used spears, so I should take one of those. If no one got in my way, I wouldn't attack anyone else. I'd just grab what I wanted and go.

 _25, 24, 23..._

* * *

Moddi Pex

Silver was behind the Cornucopia, but Alinta was right next to me. We looked at each other and tried to figure out what to do. She was the littlest, so she should stay away where it was safe. It would be hard for Silver to get supplies when she was so far away, so that left me. I'd just get some of the closer things for my alliance.

 _15, 14, 13..._

* * *

Lyra Axelle

 _Why does Jynx keep looking at me?_

 _5, 4, 3, 2, 1..._

" _Let the Thirty-Ninth Hunger Games begin!"_

* * *

 **I didn't want you to have to wait all weekend, so here we go! I counted up the votes and the victims have enough that even if someone didn't get in yet, it wouldn't change things. You were pretty united in most of your death picks. The outlying votes largely canceled each other out, and I removed pairs of conflicting votes for each Tribute.**

 **We were tied between Candyland and Jurassic Park, but the last three votes were all for dinos, so bring out the dinos.**


	33. Bloodbath

**Ash Smith**

The Gamemakers were good to us this year. A pair of gleaming katanas were lying on a table inside the Cornucopia. I scooped them up and scoped up my target. I drew Buckwheat because his physique was just large enough to be a threat. He didn't give me any trouble, though. I didn't even have to chase him down. He actually ran up beside me to get the weapons inside the Cornucopia. He tried to throw me down when I came at him, but I'd trained years for this. I slid my blade into his stomach and jerked it upwards for a neat kill. The first cannon of the Games was mine.

* * *

 **Buckwheat Mager POV**

How could this happen? I had everything it took. If I got killed so easily, Arden was really sunk. I hoped he was quick enough to get away. But I wasn't, so it wasn't likely.

* * *

 **Gabriel Farad**

I had to know my limitations. If I got out of the Bloodbath, it would be by luck. I had no chance if I went in to grab anything past my platform. I found Delilah, who was already running toward me with a plastic bag in her hand. We didn't even look at the other supplies around us. We just ran.

* * *

 **Floki Grimm**

Time for battle and time for blood. My hands demanded a neck to throttle and hoarse cries came from my own as I charged at the others. I locked on to the first boy I saw and ran at him. Someone darted past me and I smashed past the fleeting obstruction without losing my pace. I reached the boy and threw him down. In my frenzy, I needed no weapon. With all the strength of the bear that was my totem, I bore down on the boy's skull with my iron fist. The boy's head snapped back and the spirit within him twitched as it flew to the next world.

* * *

 **Byke Sainz**

It wasn't a boy that came at me. It was a buffalo. Blood filled its eyes and poured from its mouth as it bit through its own lip. It howled like a wolf and there was nothing but animal ferocity in it as it threw me down to tear me apart. I could have won if it wasn't for that. Nobody could fight that.

* * *

 **Victory Amarinthine**

Lyra didn't have the skills to escape me. Careers train in running as well as weapons. We kill fighters and cowards equally. Even if she could outrun me, she couldn't outrun my arrow. I drew it back to fire.

"Victory, look out!" Ash yelled. He threw off my shot, but Lyra hadn't even noticed I was shooting at her. She was trying to get close enough to grab a sword without attracting any more attention.

"What?!" I snapped, and I turned to Ash.

* * *

 **Calista Corral**

"Victory, look out!" I yelled. I'd run in to get things for me and Lyra when I saw Victory about to shoot her. I ran closer to get in earshot and shouted to distract her. I could have gotten away while Victory was shooting Lyra, but I was brave Calista now, and brave people didn't do that. I wasn't even scared when Victory turned.

"What?!" she yelled. She saw it was me and laughed. I yelled Lyra's name, and she looked up, saw the situation, and bolted. Victory pulled back another arrow to fire after her. I yanked a rock off the ground and threw it at her, hitting her arm.

"Fight me!" I yelled. I scooped a pocketknife from the supplies littering the ground and pointed it at her. I only intended to get her to turn her back on Lyra so I could run, but when she started coming closer, I froze. I suddenly realized how lethal she was, and my legs refused to move.

"Should have let me take her," Victory said. I could only watch the arrow leave her bow and thud into my chest.

I thought people died quick when they got shot. I had time to hear all the other cannons as the blood slowly left me. It hurt the whole time. But I wasn't afraid. I came through in the end. I was brave.

* * *

 **Jynx Susurrus**

Floki was completely berserk, but other than that we were all focused on our targets. Ash had already brought down Buckwheat and Victory was getting a bead on Lyra. I had to complete my objective. I pushed aside my disease as the crowds and the chaos and focused on Harmony. She knew her chances and was already running for the forest. But Careers can run too, and my legs were long and toned. I completed my mission.

* * *

 **Harmony Griffith**

Jynx left without making sure I was dead. But then, he didn't really. I _was_ dead, I was just able to move a little while longer. I heard another fallen Tribute softly cry out and dragged myself to her side. It was the girl from Ten, even less alive than I was and struggling to stand. I took her hand.

"It's okay," I said. "We'll go together." She put her head on my chest and with the last of my breath, I sang a whispery dirge for both of us.

"Lay down your head and rest

They'll never hurt you now  
You're beyond the reach  
Of anyone who's cruel  
I'm right here, this I vow

You've come to journey's end  
I'm here  
You have a friend  
So close your eyes and rest  
Until the dawn..."

* * *

 **Mary Ellen Westley**

Ash turned away from his kill and saw me looking on.

"First one already. I didn't see _you_ make any," he teased. He turned back to deliver the customary double-tap to Buckwheat and I buried my axe in the back of his skull.

"That's one."

* * *

 **Ash Smith**

You're never supposed to kill your District partner unless you're the last two. Careers never kill other Careers in the Bloodbath. We're not supposed to weaken our pack. I never thought to anticipate that. Mary Ellen was a lowlife District traitor. She was a backstabbing coward. But she _was_ daring.

* * *

 **Silver Flower**

I held Alinta's hand as we ran diagonally toward the forest. We searched for Moddi as we ran, but I should have told Alinta to keep looking ahead. Alinta gasped as Ash pulled back his sword, and she screamed when Moddi's blood sprayed the air. I pulled her forward as she shrieked and pulled back at me, straining to help her friend. I couldn't tell her not to cry when I was sobbing too. Abruptly, she stopped tugging at me and sped forward. Then I was the one trying to keep up with her, with the little girl running away from the bedtime monsters she just found out were real.

* * *

 **There you have it. There were some last-minute changes after a final set of votes came in just as I uploaded to doc manager, but here's the final cut. Most of the victims were foreseeable, but there were some surprises. Order of death doesn't correlate with number of votes. I consider the Bloodbaths a batch and their deaths were in whatever order fit together.**

 **24th place: Buckwheat Mager- Stabbed by Ash**

 **We all saw this one coming. Buckwheat was a late addition made largely so I could get the show started. His form was a paragraph long and he was never appealing. He did seem to genuinely care for Ardun, though, so he wasn't all bad. Our thanks to Puddingg for the final piece to the Games and for making him an easy kill so others could live longer.**

 **23rd place: Byke Sainz- Cerebral hemorrhage from Floki's blow**

 **My research tells me it _is_ possible to kill a guy with one cranial blow, and Floki was pretty worked up. I mark out my votes by writing down anyone who got one vote, and coloring the votes progressively with rainbow colors as they get more. Byke was the only one to reach blue (I start with red), so he was toast. I don't think any of us thought otherwise. Byke wasn't that terrible in his form. He was just a bratty kid. Someone had to be the one nobody missed and he developed into that. Thanks Veneratedart for making us feel less guilty about rooting for kids to die.**

 **22nd place: Ash Smith- Axed by Mary Ellen**

 **Ash's wounds were more devastating so he died before Harmony and Calista. This was the most surprising vote to me, but I guess some people wanted a Career out of the way. I had to be more careful about the realism of killing a Career and think about who would kill him. Naturally it was Mary Ellen, since she's kind of like that. I appreciated Ash's simplicity and he was easy to write. I thought he'd go farther, but I didn't think you would vote him Victor. My thanks to Calebbeers because I appreciate conventional Victors. They keep the Games moving.**

 **21st place: Harmony Griffith- Stabbed by Jynx**

 **I got two singing Tributes this time, but they weren't clones. Harmony was her own person and I never had trouble telling her apart from Delilah. I think people picked her just because they had to pick someone and they didn't think she would win. The song she sang to Calista was in her form and I wanted to make sure I got her submitter's work in. When she was voted to die in the Bloodbath, I finagled a bit and got it in anyway. Thanks TranscendentElvenRanger for a sensitive Tribute that stretched my artistic abilities as never before. And also for continuing the random Andy Griffith running joke that somehow got into my stories.**

 **20th place: Calista Corral- Shot by Victory's arrow**

 **Calista was a strange case since she was submitted as a Bloodbath in a voting Games. I would have killed her anyway, but she did get two votes. Calista had a cool story about developing past stereotypes and had more hidden inside her than I gave her credit for. She showed what peer pressure and societal influences can do to someone, but she also rose above them in a blaze of glory. She was supposed to get tortured but none of the Careers were mean enough this year, so I dragged her death out instead. Calista's submitter is the only one I forgot to wrote down, but I know you'll show up in the reviews. Thanks for making Calista complex and for making a Bloodbath. People like you are the real MVPs. Also I am retroactively sorry for all the times I misspelled her name as "Callista".**

 **Finally, AztecPrincess15 has an SYOT called No Rest for the Wicked and I submitted a Tribute, so anyone who wants to should submit more so I can read about mine :)**


	34. The First Night

**Moddi wasn't in the obituaries because I messed up. The votes changed at the last second, after I'd written her death in the Bloodbath. I took out her death POV but missed the part where Alinta mentioned her. It's a continuity error I can correct when I'm not lazy. In the meantime, Moddi survived the Bloodbath and Alinta saw Calista and Harmony die instead.**

* * *

Alinta Fintan

Silver had her arms around me and she pressed my head to her chest while I scrunched in and cried. Moddi was circling around us as she looked over her shoulder and wrung her hands. I just saw something terrible. There was blood everywhere and people were killing people. I knew things were like this but now it was real. It wasn't like on the television where it was laid out neatly and then sad music played over a cannon. There was blood and cutting and people tried to crawl away as other people stuck swords in their backs. I thought the world was a beautiful place. I had just never seen it.

"The singing girl is dead," I said. She had such a pretty voice. I heard her sometimes in the night. One time I joined in, even though I'm a terrible singer. She let me sing along anyway. But she was dead, and the loud boy, and the pretty girl, and two others. At first me and Silver were separated from Moddi and I thought it was her. When she showed up a bit later carrying supplies, I grabbed her leg just to make sure she was real.

"It's okay," Silver said. It wasn't okay. Nothing was okay. She just wanted me to feel better, and I felt bad she was so worried. I pushed back and sat up like everything was normal. I wasn't sure I could talk without sounding like I was crying, so I lowered my voice a little.

"Yeah, it's okay. What did you find, Moddi?" I asked. She opened the bag and I thought of other kids running for supplies- other kids that didn't make it. I forced a smile as she unpacked our supplies, but Silver probably knew it was fake.

"I got a water bottle, a piece of plastic, a pocketknife, some salt packets, and a compass," Moddi said. She also had a thin silver sheet and a mirror she grabbed after the bag. I unwrapped the silver sheet and felt it crinkle as it fell open.

"Did you see the dinosaur?" I asked.

"Yeah, that was really cool," Silver said. I guess she didn't miss the giant dinosaur after all. "It was so tall."

"It was a nice one, too, even though I thought it was going to squish Gabriel," I said. We launched into conversation about the dinosaur so we didn't have to think about what had happened. It _was_ a cool dinosaur, though. Sometimes the world _is_ beautiful.

* * *

Ree Morning

Junie and I huddled in a thicket of ferns as we laid our supplies and discussed our strategy. Ever since the timer started we'd been constantly on red alert. In an Arena like this, we couldn't let our guard down for a second. The Capitol wouldn't make a dinosaur Arena without a ton of dinosaurs. The woods were probably crawling with them, and they'd want to see action right away. Once we got all our stuff packed back up, we would find a tree to climb to get away from all the biggest dinosaurs.

"We should find water before we climb," Junie said. The bottle she had picked up was full, but it wouldn't last forever. Other than that, all we had was a length of cord and some matches, not that we were going to make a fire anytime soon.

"It's really wet here. Maybe we can capture the dew. We won't have to leave the tree until we need food," I said. I hadn't thought about... restroom facilities during training, but I had to wonder what was going to happen if we were in a tree for a few days. But then, that was a pretty silly thing to be worried about.

Junie had just picked out a tree when we heard the undergrowth rustling. She leaped onto the first branch and practically pulled herself up the bark with her fingernails like a squirrel. I followed after and she pulled me up as we clawed up the tree until we were so high even the long-necked dinosaurs couldn't reach us. I was panting and my heart was pounding, but when I looked down, vertigo took over from terror and I almost fell. Junie peered down next to me and we watched the undergrowth as our pursuer emerged.

It was a green dinosaur about half again as tall as me. It had a super long tail and tiny little arms like a T. Rex. It bobbed through the grass like a duck and stopped near our tree. It bent over and ate a mouthful of grass. Junie burst out laughing.

"It's not even a meat eater," she said. I started laughing too and I almost fell out of our perch. "It just eats grass. We didn't have to be scared," I said. We held each other and the branch and laughed for a long time.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine

It was getting dark and we hadn't found anyone yet. We'd run across a herd of tiny two-legged dinosaurs, but they weren't even big enough to fight. We were all getting impatient, and Floki looked about ready to burst.

"Hey," Maris said. She pointed ahead of us, in front of Mary Ellen. We put her in the front after what she did to Ash. She wasn't out of the doghouse yet, but it was better to keep our enemies closer, and if a larger dinosaur attacked we'd be better in force. I looked where she was pointing and saw a girl plucking plants from a bunch of fuzzy ferns. We fell silent and started to stalk forward, but she saw us before long. She shrieked and ran, and then the chase was on.

But then, it was hardly a chase. I caught up with her quickly and lunged forward, snapping her Achilles' tendon with a slash. She collapsed and turned over, looking up at me as I bore down on her with my sword.

"Hold it," Mary Ellen said. She and the others gathered around the girl, who I recognized as the one from Three. "Sharing is caring."

"What?" I asked. That girl was getting stranger every day.

"She's your catch, of course, but how about letting us have a stab? I bet we can all get two turns in before she dies," Mary Ellen said. Maris looked at her uneasily, and I hesitated. What happened next would be crucial. Whichever of us looked the weakest would be the next to die. Mary Ellen was sadistic, but her words had thrown down a gauntlet.

"Why not?" I said, and I put on a wicked smile. The girl from Three whimpered, and I hoped we wouldn't all get a turn. I took my sword and slashed her across the cheek, knowing that facial wounds didn't have to be deep to bleed impressively. I looked Mary Ellen in the eye.

"Your turn. Try to restrain yourself," I sneered. She sneered back and smashed her axe into the girl's hip. It cracked like a baseball bat hitting a ball and it was wedged in her bone when she tried to pull it out. The girl screamed and clawed at the axe, and Mary Ellen kicked her in the face.

"You're up," she said to Maris. Maris avoided our eyes as she bent down and stuck a knife into the girl's ribs. She did it quickly and stood up sharply.

"It's all you," Mary Ellen said as she smirked at Floki. He looked at her with palpable contempt and swung his axe high over his head. He brought it down on the girl's neck and cut her head off.

"You ruined it," Mary Ellen pouted.

"Bastard coward," Floki said. He spat on the ground next to Mary Ellen's feet and glared at her with intensity I hadn't seen since his berserker rage. Mary Ellen actually growled when the spit hit the ground, and I broke in before a second Bloodbath started.

"We need to find the others before they get away," I said. We grouped up again, Mary Ellen standing to one side of our cluster as Floki glared at her back and Maris looked at the ground. In five minutes, I'd learned all I needed to know about my allies. We knew who the enemy was now.

* * *

Moddi Pex

My face was warm and sticky. It felt like everything below my neck was in a lion's jaws and he was shaking me like a doll. My nose was clogged with blood and shattered from Mary Ellen's kick.

Everything seemed distant after the Bloodbath. It seemed like there couldn't be any more death, that the Gamemakers would be satisfied with what they had. I thought me and Silver and Alinta could make a camp and wait until we could go home. When I saw the Careers, I remembered reality for a minute. I screamed so my allies could get away, and I wondered where they were.

When the girl kicked me, I knew she wasn't a girl at all. She was a demon. The others were scared of her, and they didn't stop her. When the tall boy above my head and I saw his axe, I knew an angel had come to stop her. He set me free and the pain was gone.

* * *

Silver Flower

 _What's happening? Why is it taking so long?_

When Moddi screamed, I grabbed Alinta and we ran into a thick cluster of overgrown palm-like bushes. We burrowed inside and huddled in a hollow under a rock. I had intended to stash Alinta there and go help, but when I heard her screams and the girl laughing, I knew I was too late. All I could do was hold Alinta's hand and beg for the cannon to sound.

When it finally did, Alinta squeezed my hand so hard it hurt. I expected to see tears when I turned to her, but she was shaking with anger.

"I want them all to die," she said.

* * *

 **19th place: Moddi Pex- Killed by the Careers, ultimately Floki**

 **Moddi was set to slowly go insane. She got voted to die early, so I put some into her death POV to make up for it. She was also supposed to die gruesomely, and I always take that as a sick challenge. Instead of demonizing Mary Ellen, I more wanted to emphasize peer pressure and what an upbringing in the Academy would do to person. I didn't think Moddi would go so early in a voting Games because she was nice and unassuming, but I think people picked up on her lack of skills and voted for her because of that. I liked her friendliness and how she wasn't a Three stereotype, so I'll miss her. Sorry she died early again, ItsaCatsWorld. I'm just happy she made it past the Bloodbath, because I've killed so many of yours in Bloodbaths and this time it wouldn't even have been my idea.**

 **If you want a certain dinosaur in the Games, send it in. EVERY dino I get will make an appearance (so please don't send in 500). The first one was a Leallynasaura. Since it was a herbivore, it didn't do much damage**

 **One more thing: It's good to repost your votes every chapter so I know they haven't changed. If they're the same anyway, you can just say as much in a review since they'll be unknown to everyone else.**


	35. Faces in the Sky

**Most of these were death reflections, but Lyra and Austin got more so I could get development in in case either of them died.**

* * *

Chimera Ilium

Why did they have to go and die? And in the Bloodbath, too, both of them? I wanted them to be safe and come back here with me. How does the Capitol expect us to be so chipper all the time if we keep seeing our Tributes die? It must be awful to live in the Districts.

* * *

District Nine

The mills ground slower without one of our best workers. The fields were quieter without our loveliest songbird. Harmony used to sing in time with the churning of the grain elevator. Her parents let us pluck one of the strands from her beautiful rainbow scarf, and we tied it to her station. She'll bring beauty to Nine forever.

* * *

Lyra Axelle

I couldn't stop looking at Calista's face in the sky. I didn't understand how anyone could do that. I never really thought she was my friend, and I thought she felt the same about why. So why did she get in Victory's way? She could have run away and been safe, but she saved me and now she was dead. I thought she was just another pretty face. Now that I knew who she really was, it was too late.

The ground was hard underneath me and I was chilly and hungry. All I had from the cornucopia was a rain poncho, which I'd laid out underneath me like a thin, lumpy mattress. I'd always hated being pampered at home, but now I realized how good I had it. I was just a spoiled brat in the end. I wasted my first real friend and now I was going to die in a miserable Arena far from home. I could have made something of myself with the wealth and power I had in Five. I could try now, but I had so little time left. Chances were, Calista died saving something who wasn't worth her time.

* * *

 _Ash Smith-_ Mary Ellen POV

One of my tougher competitors gone already. I had to stay even more alert now that the others knew what I was like. No one wanted to be the first to start a fight, but we couldn't stay peaceful for long with feelings the way they were.

* * *

 _Moddi Pex-_ Alinta POV

The Careers killed Moddi. She didn't do anything to them. They were just monsters. They were worse than any of the bullies back home. I wished I was strong enough to kill them. But I was smart, and I started to think.

* * *

 _Byke Sainz-_ Ree POV

My District partner was dead. I never liked Byke- none of us did- but I was still sad he died. I wished he was still at home being obnoxious. It was weird to think of him silent in a coffin. Byke was _never_ quiet.

* * *

Buckwheat Mager- Arden POV

Buckwheat wasn't as strong as he thought he was. I wasn't surprised. He was always so hotheaded and impulsive. Sometimes it's better to be a coward. Sometimes dogs live longer than lions.

* * *

Harmony Griffith- Delilah POV

I should have gotten to know Harmony better. She could have been our ally and we could have sung a duet. Now there was no Harmony in the world. But then, there never was in Panem.

* * *

Austin Dallas

For a minute, I saw a reflection of my own face in the sky. I knew it wasn't real, but it stirred up something within me. Something seemed wrong about the Arena. It felt like the plants weren't right and something different should have been there. I had dreamlike memories of a four-sided pyramid and winged monsters. For an instant, I thought I smelled rotting garbage. It was like I was someone else, and I was just now discovering who I was.

* * *

 **Sponsoring stuff since I forgot to post that:**

 **You get ten points for Tribute in the Games and a point for each round you vote. It's always hard to list everything, but here are some options:**

 **Food- 1 point per meal. Content of the meal doesn't matter. I consider all meals to be 700 calories.**

 **Water- 2 points for a day's worth, 7 points for a filter or something so they can use Arena water**

 **Weapons- 5-20 points. 5 points being something simple like a wooden spear and 20 being a compound bow with a dozen arrows**

 **Survival stuff- generally cheap since the Gamemakers don't want to watch Tributes die boringly. Options include 3 points for a firemaking kit all the way up to 15 for a tent**

 **Medicine- medicine is priced based on the severity of the illness. It's possible for an illness to progress too far to treat, but I'll tell you if that happens so you don't waste points**

 **Anything else- Tell me what you want to send all I'll figure out what it's worth**

 **You can sponsor anyone you want, and if all your Tributes die you become a rich Capitolite with 20 bonus points plus whatever you had left that you can use to grace whatever Tribute catches your fancy**

 **Notes are free and they can contain general advice but not specific things like "Hey man don't eat them green berries you'll die"**


	36. Mutt Time

Junie Brett

I was cramped and sore when I woke up. Of course, Ree and I had barely slept at all. She was pretty scared of being up so high, and we were both scared of mutts and the other Tributes. I felt like all my muscles were wooden and I wanted to run inside my house and burrow into soft blankets.

Just me adjusting my position woke up Ree, and she scrunched harder against the trunk as she looked down at the ground so far beneath us. I was about to say something when I noticed something more important.

"Look, dew," I said, pointing at the leaves around us. They were wide and round, and they all shone with droplets. I tapped one and water dropped off it, falling against the trunk with an audible plop.

Ree took out our half-full bottle. Back in the Capitol, the training assistants showed us how to capture dew. I took off my shirt and dabbed the leaves with it, careful not to knock off more droplets. It was weird and a little cold to be on camera in my bra, but some things have to be done. The Capitol must have been worried about topless 12-year-olds, since they provided us girls with sports bras that covered a lot of skin.

When I had enougn dew collected, I wrung my shirt out and water poured into our bottle. It only took a few swipes to replenish our supplies. This time around, the Gamemakers wanted us to die hard.

It took us a long time to get down from the tree, since it was wet and Ree wasn't as used to climbing as I was. We hesitated on the last branch and looked around for any evidence of dinosaurs. I could tell neither of us wanted to be down for long. It felt like back when I was little and we pretended that the floor was lava. We were only safe in the tree.

The plants here were different from the ones in the Capitol. I assumed they were prehistoric, but I could still recognize ferns, and I knew ferns were good to eat. You're supposed to fry them, but raw was good enough for us. We gathered as much as we could stuff into our shirts and pants and retreated back into the tree. With food and water, we wouldn't have to come down for a long time.

* * *

Zetan Thompson

We didn't have any supplies, but we all got out of the Bloodbath alive. I almost didn't, though. I was next to Floki, and when he started to charge I was sure he was coming at me. Instead he smashed past me like I was grass, and he knocked me over. I looked up and saw Jynx aiming an arrow at me. It was too late to move, but something flashed in front of me. Gizmo helped me get to my feet with one hand, since the other arm had Victory's arrow in it. Nubu and Arter fell in with us as we fled, not even bothering to grab supplies.

"Are you okay?" Arter asked Gizmo when we were far enough away to stop. Gizmo was examining the arrow in his arm. His breath was pained but he seemed to be lucid.

"It didn't hit anything important, or it would be bleeding more," he said.

"Should we pull it out, or will that make it worse?" Nubu asked.

"The worst that could happen is infection. It's wet here, and we don't have any medicine," Gizmo said. "There's hardly anything we can do. The best we can do is break off what we can and hope someone sends us medicine or we can start a fire to cauterize it."

"Thanks. For helping me, I mean," I said. I was horrified that Gizmo got hurt and guilty that he was helping me, but I felt really good to know Gizmo would do that. He didn't even hesitate. I wasn't a bully to him. I was just his friend. I liked that much more.

* * *

Arden Grake

I wasn't about to stay on the ground, not with Careers and dinosaurs rampaging around. There weren't many trees in ten, but climbing one was pretty self-explanatory. I stopped when I was halfway up the tree, past the reach of any of the meat-eating dinosaurs.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to kill anyone, and I didn't even know if I could. I wasn't trained like the Careers and I wasn't brutal like some of the others. I wasn't even used to hacking wood like the Tributes from Seven. All I could hope to do was outlast the others.

I jumped when the ground shook, but then I knew I didn't have to be afraid. A dinosaur that large had to be a sauropod. It was still stunning when I saw the sheer mass of the creature as it came into view. I'd seen houses smaller than it. Fallen logs crunched under its feet and saplings bent beside it as it wandered closer to my tree. Its head was as big as I was. Its pockmarked skin was greenish brown and its tail seemed to go on forever. It was just awe-inspiring, and I felt blessed to get to see it.

The dinosaur plucked a branch twice my size from a tree and picked off all the leaves. It dropped the barren branch and picked another one closer to me. It was so close I could almost reach out and touch it, and I felt its warm breath. I didn't think about what that meant until its head grew closer and its mouth opened to reveal dozens of spoon-shaped teeth with flecks of leaf between them.

"Oh no," I said. I tried to squish farther up the branch, but it was too late. The teeth got closer until I actually could touch them, and then I did. The dinosaur chomped down on a lot of greenery and something much more red and squishy. As the teeth punched through my skin, I hoped my parents weren't disappointed that their son got eaten by a herbivore.

* * *

Gabriel Farad POV

A cannon sounded earlier today. Delilah told me. It was night, and that had been the only one. The Careers must have been disappointed.

I had already said the required prayers, but at a time like this I needed all the help I could get. I told Delilah I was going to scout around and sent up a few extra ones just in case. I felt like a brave hero when she didn't hesitate. She didn't say, "But Gabriel. You're deaf. Shouldn't _I_ look around? You stay here where it's safe." I was her partner, and she trusted maybe. Maybe I even helped _her_ feel braver.

The night was alive with colors, aromas, and movement. Soft ferns brushed against me as I walked and that lovely after-rain scent hung in the air. White flowers clung to some of the fallen logs and a dragonfly the size of my hand buzzed by my ear. I was happy that despite all that had happened, Delilah and I got to share such a gorgeous Arena. I wished it could last forever, but I knew the Careers could be around any corner.

Something prickled at the back of my head, and I turned around in a circle. There was no sign of movement or enemies, but still I was uneasy. I smelled something peaty and then something pushed me over from behind. It landed on top of me and I turned over to see a spotted cat with long fangs. They weren't long enough for a sabertooth, but they were long enough for me. I knew my last moments had to matter, and I tried to scream a warning to Delilah. I barely got anything out before the cat bit into my neck, crushing it shut. It bore down on me, cutting off my air and blocking any escape. Of course, I spent my last moments praying.

 _Allah is merciful. Please, be merciful to Delilah._

* * *

 **18th place: Arden Grake- Chomped by a brontosaurus**

 **Arden was generally absent from people's votes. His creator suggested this cool death scene and I didn't think people would mind getting another Tribute out of the way. Arden was a last-minute addition, but I think he stood out. He was quiet without being another cliche quiet Tribute. He seemed more like an introvert than another loner, and I appreciated his subtle drive. Thanks lisaisanut for providing a Tribute after so many fell through and for giving him a tailor-made death. Also I'm sorry I spelled his name Ardun all those times.**

 **17th place: Gabriel Farad- Eaten by a xenosmilus**

 **Xenosmiluses aren't exactly from the same period, but the Gamemakers don't care as long as it's cool. I really liked Gabriel. I was hoping he'd win even though I would have to work to make it realistic. I think a combination of realism and people who were afraid he was too popular did him in, and I was surprised how many people voted for him. Thanks PrinceofCorinth for Gabriel. I always like it when unconventional Tributes get into the Games. I wish he had lived longer so he and Delilah could have had more time.**

 **A rich Capitolite has sent Lyra a compound bow and a dozen arrows. Lucky her!**


	37. The Name's Cuss- Deinonychus

Bambi Kirkland

For once, I wished I was more like Cornflower. Two more Tributes were two more pictures in a book for her. I felt all the pain and the regret she never could. I stayed up all night wondering what I could have done better. I felt the guilt knowing that I wanted Arden back more than Calista because if he won, I wouldn't have to be the mentor all the time. It was quiet in the Capitol without Calista. Arden had been quiet even before he died, but I still sensed his absence. They both should have been there, and they weren't.

District Ten

Of course Arden's parents didn't think for a moment that he had disappointed them. They only knew they'd lost a son they loved. All the schoolchildren were affected by Calista's loss. She was the most popular girl of them all, and they hardly knew what to do without her. Maybe the next popular girl would be more level-headed, but we weren't holding our breath.

* * *

 **Gabriel Farad-** Delilah Clementine

My hands flew to my mouth when I saw Gabriel's face. He just went out five minutes ago to scout. I heard a cannon, but I never thought it was his. I shook my head and trembled as I watched his face flicker in the sky. I couldn't even speak, and I knew it would be a long time before I could sing again.

The next morning, I got my first parachute. I recognized the hard, hand-sized piece of wood from my self-defense training in the Capitol. It didn't look like much, but it was perfect for hand to hand combat. It strengthened blows and protected the hand from impact. There was a bottle of water along with it.

The next parachute came soon after the first. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't an ice cream sundae. It had layers of fudge and caramel mixed in with nuts, and it was topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, rainbow-colored candy, and a cherry. I had been sitting next to my first parachute without the volition to get up and keep moving yet, and I knew why someone would send me that. Impossible as it was, I tried to forget my sorrows and enjoy the treat. Someone wanted me to be happy, and Gabriel would have, too.

* * *

 **Arden Grake-** Jynx Susurrus

Arden seemed responsible and capable. I'd been interested in allies in the Capitol. Maybe I should have asked him. We might both have lasted longer.

Victory Amarinthine

We weren't doing so well. Two days in and only three Tributes had died after the Bloodbath. Two of those weren't even our kills. We were all itching for a fight, and I hoped we found another Tribute before _some_ of us - _Mary Ellen-_ got out of hand.

Often, the Careers would spread out to hunt, but in this Arena we stuck together. Even a Career couldn't fight a T. Rex alone. We still couldn't together, but we stayed close all the same. We stepped into a clearing and Floki stopped. He cocked his head and we all went dead silent. I strained my ears and heard what he was listening to: a soft hiss. Immediately, we grouped into a ring, and we were none too soon.

Four dinosaurs emerged from the grass around us. Each was the length of a small mountain lion, and their heads were at my waist. Their tails were long and tapered, and their tough skin was gray. Even worse-looking than their mouths full of teeth were their claws. Each one had a single cocked foot talon twice as wide and long as my thumb. They hissed and circled for another moment, and then they pounced.

The one closest to Mary Ellen attacked first. It sprang at her with its claw poised to disembowel her as its mouth went for her arm. She twisted away from its claw and it landed on her, knocking her onto her back. She screamed and tried to hit it with her axe, but it was inside her strike and she was having difficulty. Even if we didn't have our own problems, I doubt any of us would have helped her. I focused on watching Maris' back. She wasn't a backstabber, and Floki could take care of himself. Maris and I stood back-to-back and faced two more of the dinosaurs. I waved my sword at mine and he jerked back. When he tried to jump at me, I stuck my sword out and the dinosaur impaled his hip on my blade. It fell heavily and limped off into the grass, squealing.

I turned to help Maris and saw Mary Ellen in my peripheral vision. She shoved her dinosaur away and bolted into the woods, covered in blood. I had to admire her strategy. She knew we wouldn't be able to follow until she was already far away, and she knew her days in the alliance were numbered. Her dinosaur followed after her, but he was tottering and bloody. He wouldn't catch her.

* * *

Maris Calder

Aside from a long claw mark in my leg, I was unhurt. The dinosaur and I were in a stalemate. Neither of us wanted to risk an attack, and we sniped cautiously at each other. When Victory turned and joined me, the battle turned. The dinosaur looked at the pair of us and ran off. Only Floki's was left, and we went to help him.

We _tried_ to help him, anyway. When we first saw him, he was facing off with the dinosaur like it was some exhibition match. As we were running over to help, he threw down his axe and tackled the dinosaur. I actually gasped and stopped dead at the sigh of such brutal audacity, and Victory did too. It was impossible to help after that. Floki and the dinosaur were so close we could have hit either one, and I suspected that if we got within range, Floki would attack us as much as the dinosaur. They grapped back and forth, Floki pummeling the dinosaur while it raked its claws across his body. Soon they were both covered in blood and I couldn't tell whose it was. Floki threw the dinosaur down and jumped onto its back as it twisted its head and bit at him. When it raised its leg to use its big claw, Floki grabbed it and yanked. The dinosaur started to hiss and buck as Floki contorted and bent its foot. There was a twisting crunch like a popped knuckle and the dinosaur shrieked horrible and tried to run. Floki drew his arm back powerfully and the claw ripped free of the dinosaur's foot. Floki stabbed it into the dinosaur's head over and over as they both filled the air with deafening cries.

The dinosaur was a pulpy mess when Floki finally rose. He looked more like an animal than a man, and we backed away when he turned to look at us.

* * *

Mary Ellen Westley

I saw my moment and took it. I ran deep into the forest, leaving the sounds of the struggling Careers behind me. My breath hitched as I ran and my leg kept folding under me, but I dragged myself on.

I was far out of range when I collapsed. I fell heavily against a tree and hauled myself up to a sitting position to examine my wounds. They were serious, but they didn't have to be critical. The worst was the deep bite marks on my arm, but the rest of the wounds were pouring blood and I only had so much. I tied a strip of my shirt around my arm in a makeshift tourniqet and got to my feet.

I was closer to the Cornucopia than the others. I could beat them back and grab some first aid supplies before they finished their battle. Then I'd hole up a few days until I healed, and I'd be back in business.

I may have overestimated how much blood I had. Before long I was crawling, and then I was pulling myself along with one good arm. My vision was fuzzy and spots swam before my eyes. I dropped my axe, intending to come back for it after I tended my wounds.

I laughed when I saw a girl in front of me. She was watching me cautiously, but when she saw how weak I was, she came closer. It was the girl from Twelve, the little one.

"Where's your ally, baby?" I asked hoarsely. "You better stay clear. Even like this you don't stand a chance."

"Silver's getting water," the girl said. "That's good, because she wouldn't like what I'm about to do." She walked past me like I was nothing and bent over my axe. I laughed again.

"Oh, I'm scared now. You can't even pick that up," I said. The girl wrapped both arms around my axe and heaved back, but she barely got it off the ground. She dragged it along a step and let it fall.

"You're right. But I don't have to," she said. She walked up next to me and I tried to grab her leg. She kicked my arm aside lightly and picked up my other arm. She unwound my tourniqet and dropped my arm. Blood started to flow out, far slower than it should have. I tried to wrap it back on, but my fingers were slow and unresponsive.

"You deserve it," she said, and she walked away. How do you like that? The great Mary Ellen Westley, killed by a little girl.

* * *

 **16th place: Mary Ellen Westley- killed ostensibly by Alinta but really more by a Deinonychus**

 **Mary Ellen's form actually called for her to die by a young Tribute since she derided the younger ones. Otherwise I wouldn't have had Alinta kill her. As it was, I made it more realistic by having her be at death's door from blood loss. I didn't know how far to expect the Careers to make it. A lot of people don't like them, but some prefer the realism of them winning. It looks like most people are on the first side, but some of them are still popular. There weren't any real villains in this batch of Tributes, but Mary Ellen was the most conventional Career, so she ended up being the closest thing. It's crucial that children be taught empathy at a young age, and Mary Ellen never received that. She hardly could have turned out differently. Thanks Hollyhobbit for Mary Ellen. She was a realistically powered Career and she was mean, but I wouldn't call her a monster. She couldn't know right from wrong very well because she was never taught. On a sidenote, this must be the earliest that Two has gone out in any of me Games.**

 **No one sent in a Deinonychus. I just really like them.**


	38. But None for Gretchen Weiners

Pray Jager

Silver claws made for a most dangerous facepalm. We were the first Career District out of the running and it happened in three days. We were the laughingstock of Panem thanks to two of the worst Tributes I had ever been forced to mentor. Two admired killers, not butchers. Kill effectively, kill quickly, kill comprehensively. We raised soldiers, not maniacs and showoffs. This was a year I would not be speaking of again.

* * *

District Two

We screwed up. Maybe Ash would have done all right if his own partner hadn't killed him, but a real contender would have seen that coming. On the female end of things, we should have sent Miranda Jagpal. Even with one leg she'd have been better.

* * *

Ree Morning

As usual, I was conflicted. None of us wanted to die, and I wasn't different. I wanted to make a difference and help people if I won. The thing was, living meant someone else died. Could I really do any good if all my riches came from someone else's death? I looked at Junie, huddled in the tree next to me. I'd have to betray her or watch her die in order to win.

"I didn't know the Games would be so boring most of the time," Junie said, breaking into my thoughts. "It's either run for your life or sit in a tree all day doing nothing."

"Yeah," I said. I felt bad saying something so boring, but I couldn't think of anything.

"Hey, you ever play 'I'm going to Grandma's house'?" Junie asked.

"No, what's that?" I asked. She shifted around to face me.

"We used to play this when we spent hours pulling limbs off trees. The first person says 'I'm going to Grandma's house and I'm bringing...' and she says something that begins with A. Then you say the same thing, but you add a B. We try to get all the way to Z without messing up," she said. There was something so silly about the conversation that I smiled. It was like something I'd do at a sleepover.

"Okay. You go first," I said.

"I'm going to Grandma's house and I'm bringing an anteater," Junie said.

"I'm going to Grandma's house and I'm bringing an anteater and a blueberry," I said.

We were halfway through when he heard something chiming. We watched in delight as a parachute maneuvered through the branches and landed in front of me. It had a six on it, so I opened it. Before I even got it open I could feel how warm it was, and delicious smells assaulted us as I lifted off the lid. We squealed and I tore open the first container I could grab.

"I'm going to Grandma's house," I said. "And I'm bringing _mashed potatoes!"_

* * *

Lyra Axelle POV

 _Can I kill a dinosaur with these things?_

My arrows looked pretty high-quality, but I wasn't sure. I definitely wasn't going to shoot a T. Rex or something with them. It would probably eat them. Some dinosaurs were really small like chickens, right? Maybe I could find one of those. I knew the real purpose of the arrows wasn't to kill dinosaurs. Other than all the moral stuff, killing Tributes would be a lot easier than Mutts. Maybe the Careers even wouldn't want to attack, since I could shoot from far away. I'd wait until the last minute to get anywhere near them, though.

Before I shot any dinosaurs, I really needed to find water. All I'd had since the Games began was some gross water I found in a puddle. I wouldn't even have drunk it, but I'd gone thirsty for twelve hours and I was starting to get a headache.

Luckily enough, a parachute ended up doing my work for me. Looking back, I should have expected some help pretty quick, since I was rich and all. I hoped there would be a note from my parents inside the box, but the water was good too. There was also a juicy hamburger with french fries and a pickle. I was almost as hungry as I was thirsty, and I ate it right at the spot where the parachute fell. There was a lot of water in the bottle. I could probably last a whole day.

There was also a packet underneath the burger. It was some brown sturdy material, and it had a sticker on it. _MRE: BEEF STRIPS_ , it read. It must have dehydrated or something so I could save it for later. As I was still looking at it, another parachute fell. It held another bottle of water and another packet, this one labeled _SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS. It's good to be rich,_ I thought, but then I tried to stifle myself. I was trying to be nice, and that wasn't very nice.

* * *

Gizmo Torrens

 _Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak._

In my case, I'd have to appear strong. My allies and I were easily able to find food and water, since the Gamemakers had generously stocked the Arena with easily recognizable plants inconsistent with the prehistoric theme, but there was nothing to do about my arm. We washed it off and bandaged it, but anywhere this hot and muggy was swarming with bacteria, and within hours, so was my arm. It was tender and puffy, and I knew blood poisoning was inevitable unless I got help or won the Games soon.

"We've got to be almost there," Nubu said. For nearly all day, Arter had been bent over the bow drill he'd made with a stick and a strip from his shirt, but there wasn't any dry wood, and it was nearly impossible. Occasionally there was a wisp of smoke, but nothing that could cauterize a seeping wound. Even though it was my best hope, I still shuddered at the thought.

"What's that?" I pointed up at the sky with my good arm. Something shiny was coming toward us. Zetan and Nubu jumped up and Zetan snagged it.

"It has a three on it. It's for you," he said. He opened it for me and took out a tube of cream. He read the instructions.

"Apply to interior of wound," he said. I groaned. It made sense that the medicine had to contact the infected flesh, but it wasn't going to be fun. I unscrewed the top of the tube and pressed the sharp tip against the scabbed-over tissue on my arm. Pus seeped out around it and I squeezed the medicine into the gash, wincing as it stretched the skin. Nubu heaved and Zetan recoiled in horror.

"Hey, there's a note in here," Arter said. Nubu and Zetan jumped at the chance to look away.

"It says 'use the surroundings to your advantage'," Arter said. That was always good advice, but I wondered what it meant in this case. I would have to do more thinking.

* * *

Austin Dallas

I never believed in oogie-boogie stuff like ghosts and clairvoyance. But I was starting to see there were things in the world I never knew about. Things like how I got so sick when Jay was in the Resurrection Games, and how my memories of that time were still fractured. Things like how natural it felt to hold a spear. How my first girlfriend was named Fauna and Jay's was Flora.

It wasn't as clear as all that, though. I was quieter than Jay. He was always so confident and capable. He was a better leader than I was. I hadn't been able to find any allies, and he'd lead great alliances in both his Games. For every part of me that was different from him, another was so much the same. All brothers are similar. Who was I, really?

When I got Reaped, I dreamed of being able to avenge my brother. Most of all, I wanted to see him again. I knew from the Resurrection Games that it was possible and thought that for a Victor, it might be allowed. Now I wasn't sure what I would find. How could I resurrect Jay if I was starting to think I _was_ him?

A parachute interrupted me, and I welcomed the distraction. I laughed almost hysterically when I saw the wooden spear inside. It's what Jay would have used, and I was good at it, too. But it was different from his. His was light and slender and sleekly metallic. This one was serviceable, but plain. Did that match what I was? I was Austin. It was my name and who I was. But was it just another label for the same thing? And what did it all mean? If I was Jay all over again, and Austin had been so close to him anyway, maybe it was all the same. I was still the same person. I just wasn't sure who that was. I could avenge my brother and myself, all at the same time.

* * *

Silver Flower

"The Games really mess people up, huh?" Alinta asked behind me. We were trying to gather food, but I wasn't confident enough to try most of the plants. So many of them looked similar that I stuck to the ones I was certain about: easy things like clover, yucca, and goat's beard.

"Yeah. We're all just trying to survive," I said.

"If they messed me up and I did something bad, would you still like me?" she asked.

"Of course I will. You're just a little girl. Nothing here is your fault," I said. It broke my heart that she had to ask, and I hoped she knew how clear I found the answer.

"Oh. Okay," she said. She gasped and pointed up. I stood and saw her jumping up and down and laughing while a parachute came down toward us. As soon as it was within reach she snatched it and tore it open.

"We're rich!" she cried. The box held two long, hard rolls slathered with butter and containing slabs of ham, along with a box of apple juice and a box of orange juice. Last of all, there were two chocolate bars. Alinta opened one and broke off a piece. Her eyes went wide.

"There's white stuff and little cookie pieces in here!" she said.

"We really _are_ rich," I said.

* * *

 **No deaths here. I think these Games are moving slower because I'm increasing the immediate development to make sure people know the Tributes well enough to vote.**

 **Silver also got a urumi in a separate parachute, and Ree got two anti-dinosaur gas grenades. It would have disrupted the flow so I left those unwritten.**

 **Speaking from experience, beef strip MREs taste like canned dog food and spaghetti and meatball ones are delicious.**

 **Lyra was lucky and suffered no ill effects from her dirty water except a day of bad poops.**


	39. Some Overdue Appearances

**Some appearances from Tributes I had been neglecting.**

 **Also, Silver and Alinta were sponsored a lobster and a cupcake.**

* * *

Nubu Sanders

Four boys, stuck in the wilderness. When we weren't running from murderers or mutts, it was actually in our best interest to conserve energy. That meant a lot of talking. And what do boys talk about?

"I was sort of a bad boy back in Three," Gizmo said. "When I wasn't in jail. The chicks liked that. I had my fun. I liked the short ones. Then they gotta stand on their toes to kiss you and it's adorable."

"Give me a busty blonde any day," Arter said. They looked at me expectantly.

"Who, me?" I said. Of course, Grain's image filled my head right away. "I like redheads. Redheads with green eyes. But it's most important that they're nice. I can't stand cheaters."

"That sounds pretty specific. Sounds like Nubu has a _girlfriend,"_ Gizmo said.

"Nah, she likes someone else. Maybe if I was rich and famous," I said.

"I always kind of wanted to get married," Zetan said. That surprised us all, and he blushed and almost stopped talking when we all looked over.

"What?" he demanded. "I thought it would be nice to have someone to stay with me forever. I could protect her and nobody would ever be mean to her."

"Now I feel bad about just wanting a girl with frontal assets," Arter said. Then we were all interrupted by the arrival of a parachute. It was really long and looked heavy, so we didn't try to catch it. We circled around it, hooting like heathens, until it reached the ground.

"It's a twelve. It's for you," Gizmo said. I opened it up and there was a machete inside. The others boys oohed in appreciation.

"You could take a guy apart with that thing!" Zetan said. He swung it around and we all dove for cover. I was more excited about the other present, though, and I scuttled under his swing to pick it out of the box. Leave it to Demi to remember how much I loved pear drops.

* * *

Arter Wire

We were goofing around like a bunch of football players. My allies were great, but I wondered how long it could last. Things were good now, but when the chips were down, I didn't know what kind of person I would be. I knew I wanted to live more than I wanted any of them. I could see myself being the one to run away and leave them to die and it disturbed me. Only one person could win the Games, and I was willing to sacrifice anything.

Out of the four of us, I was maybe the most likely to win. The others all seemed so loyal and good-hearted. Nubu even shared his candy with us. Would he regret it after he found out what I was really like? I didn't know if the Games made me so callous and paranoid or if I'd always been like that. Maybe I couldn't even blame the Capitol for anything. Maybe they just gave me the chance and I showed everyone my true colors. Nothing had happened yet, but it was going to.

Everyone is scared of death. Some people don't think about it, and a few of us actually overcome it. It would always be there for me. Whatever it took to stay alive, I would do. I'd betray my friends. I'd even kill them if we were the last ones. I laughed and joked with the rest of my alliance, but all along, I was a faker. I was the Judas among us.

A horrible revelation hit me. Even if I won, I would still die. If I died of old age, that just meant I would be dying as long as possible. There's no way to escape death, but I'd still sacrifice everything to hold it off as long as I could.

* * *

Jynx Susurrus

I always have to be the best. Not because I need the praise or to soothe my ego. I just wanted to belong somewhere, and the highest achievers can go anywhere they want. If I beat Victory and the others, I could be a Victor. I would belong in the Capitol, in an elite group of the greatest fighters in Panem's history. I would know my place and I would be where I belonged.

It was frustrating how slow the Games were going. As much as the Careers resent each other, most of us hope that the others will help speed things along. Either because the Arena was bigger than usual or because it was more hospitable, almost no one was dying due to anything but murder. On the upside, it was a greater chance for glory. The more people left, the more Tributes I could kill. I didn't enjoy killing, but it never bothered me. I always thought it was unfair of the other Districts to teach their children not to kill. It only made them vulnerable.

An arrow flew out of the woods ahead of me and whizzed past my hip. On instinct, I took a knife from my belt and threw it in the direction of the arrow's origin. I heard a cry and then a cannon. My heart jumped and I thought about what just happened. Who was more likely to shoot an arrow at me than Victory? Had I just my own boogeyman? Victory was my enemy, but it seemed impossible to end it like that, so quickly and impersonally. She might not even have known it was me she was shooting at. Wouldn't that have been funny, if the Games' greatest enemies met up and didn't know it?

I was actually relieved when I saw it wasn't her. The girl I killed was a much smaller threat than Victory, but somehow I wanted to see her again before one of us died. Victory and I pushed each other on, and neither of us would have been as strong without the other. If I didn't win, I wanted her to. She deserved it more than anyone.

* * *

Lyra Axelle POV

Jynx was coming right at me. He didn't see me yet, but if I moved, he'd hear me. He'd be able to catch me in such loud undergrowth. My only chance was to kill him before he got closer. I could do it. I was a good shot.

I missed. He wasn't even looking at me when he threw his knife. It must have hit just the right spot, since I hardly felt it. I cried out more in fear than pain. I should have been able to hit him. He was so close to me. I wasn't as good as I thought I was. I hoped Calista didn't regret saving me.

* * *

 **15th place: Lyra Axelle- Shot by Jynx**

 **Lyra tended to be arrogant, so it made sense she'd pick a fight she couldn't win. However, there weren't many other options in this case. I always seem to sympathize with the devil and can't help but see some good in the nastier Tributes I get. Lyra wasn't an angel, but she learned and grew. She started out spoiled but learned to think of others, and I'm glad she went out redeemed. Thanks Redroses1000 for providing a Tribute that we could hate at first but then grew to respect.**


	40. Dinomore Dinosaur

Erwin Jackson

Lyra was a proud peacock. She got what we all knew was coming. It was as tragic as all the others I ignored. I knew better than to hope that Gabriel would win. He never had the chance he deserved.

* * *

District Five

People always say it's quieter when a child dies. It certainly was in Lyra's case, but Gabriel changed something as well. It wasn't that it was quieter. It was like we lost a sense we never knew we had. It was a haunting absence, and it let us understand him just a little better, far too late.

* * *

Floki Grimm

I was bent over my task, pulling and peeling as I periodically cleaned my knife. Maris was going through her sponsor gift and Victory was laying back looking at the sky. We'd go hunting again soon, but for the moment we were resting.

"What are you going to do if you win? Pick fight with the other Victors?" Maris asked.

"I don't there will be any fights left for me. I'd like to go home and get a wife. I've always wanted a daughter, and a dog. It seems silly after all this, but if I was a Victor, no one would make fun of me. They'll see me and my family for what we are. We'll still be warriors, but we can have a quiet life. If I ever have a daughter, I want to take her outside to see her first sunrise. To show her that her future is bright and that no matter how hard life gets, the world is beautiful," I said.

"That wasn't what I expected," Maris said. "Especially with what you've got going on there," she pointed to my project, which I had just finished.

"That's a long time off. For now, I have to be like this. Peace only comes after battle," I said. Long before me, my ancestors slew bears and wore their pelts into battle. _Berserkers,_ the "bear coats". There were no bears in this Arena, but there was still an enemy I had slain. Its skin was tough and smooth. Its claws rested on my wrists like savage bracelets. Its razor teeth circled my neck on a cord of twisted grass. I wore the monstrous reptile like a second skin, a badge of honor and a symbol of my battle prowess. I was fierce as the beast and stronger than the dinosaur. I was a proud neo-berserker, ready to kill again.

* * *

Junie Brett

Even when we were out in nature, nature still called. Ree came with me, since we always went together. If we died squatting in the grass at our most vulnerable, at least we went out together.

Something stirred in the trees some distance from us. There was a squall of cries and then a flock of pterodactyls flew overhead. A huge footstep shook the ground and then another, twenty feet from the first. They were coming closer to us.

Ree and I bolted for our tree as foliage started to tremble around us. A giant head like a crocodile's burst out from between the trees and an awful wet hiss filled the air. The dinosaur swept its head to the side and knocked down a tree that barred its way. For the first time, I knew what it was like to be a rabbit chased by a dog. The dinosaur was as tall as my house and twice as long. Each step it took shook the ground so much I almost fell.

Ree and I only reached our tree because it was so far behind us when we saw it. I forgot all about her and clawed up the trunk. I was screaming so hard I tasted blood in my throat and my fingers were locked into curled claws. I got to a branch the dinosaur couldn't reach and looked down for Ree.

She was five feet below me, still within the dinosaur's reach. It snapped at her and she twisted out of its way around the trunk, its jaws on either side of her but unable to close around the tree. She pushed herself up on its lower jaw and clambered onto my branch.

I thought the monster would leave after that, but instead it hurled itself at the tree, and it shuddered under the blow. I felt the tree quaking and Ree and I clung to each other as the dinosaur kept attacking. The branch cracked underneath us and my stomach flipped as I imagined it breaking and sending us into the dinosaur's mouth. The entire Arena must have heard the noise, between the dinosaur and us, but no way was anyone coming closer.

After a few more tries, the dinosaur drew back. He glared at us in the tree and for a moment I was afraid he was going to wait until we ran out of water. But of course he wasn't that smart. He hissed again and turned to go.

Ree and I were quiet for a long time after he left. Ree finally spoke up.

"Do you still have to go to the bathroom?" she asked.

"Oh, no. That took care of itself."

* * *

Victory Amarinthine

I was out hunting again, but I was having no luck. A tiny dinosaur the size of a big pigeon scurried past and I fired at it just so I could bring _something_ back to camp. Maybe it would taste like chicken. I held it upside down to drain most of the blood and slung it into my bag.

Something changed in the air and I sensed another presence. Maybe it was a subtle noise or the smell of another human, but I knew someone was around. Anyone quiet enough to mostly hide their presence from me could only be another Career, and the only Career that wasn't my ally was my greatest foe... Jynx.

I shifted to high alert and slid an arrow into position. I crept through the undergrowth slowly and silently, stalking Jynx. I strained my ears for any trace of him and glanced over my shoulder periodicallu. I skirted around a rock formation and saw him just as he turned and saw me. He was maybe five feet from me and his sword was pointed at my heart as much as my arrow was pointed at his.

"Want to see who's faster?" he asked. Not that I was worried. Everything came so natural to Jynx. I worked twice as hard as he did to get twice as _good_ as he was.

"I don't think you want to find out," I said. It was a stalemate as we regarded each other. Arrows were faster than swords, but I knew he could probably get to me before he died. It would all be wonderfully dramatic, but I didn't come here to die by Jynx's hand.

"Yeah, that would stink, wouldn't it?" Jynx said, reading my thoughts. "I always wanted you to win if I didn't."

"I wanted ours to be the last battle," I said. I never wanted him to win, but I wanted my triumph to be the climax of the Games. It seemed like a waste to do things now.

"So we should wait?" Jynx asked. With anyone else I'd suspect a trick, but Jynx was my District partner. There was honor in One, and for all he was, he wasn't a liar.

"Looks like you get a reprieve," I said. It just made me look forward to the last battle all the more. I backed up a step and he did the same. I retreated around the rock formation, out of range of his sword, and waited until I heard him go. When I returned to my hunt, I was doubly determined to find the other Tributes. The faster I killed them, the faster Jynx and I could meet again.

* * *

 **That takes care of Spinosaurus and Procompsognathus, though I anticipate we'll see more of both of them, since the compies are a good food supply and Spinosaurus is totes cool. I still have the others on file and I'm just waiting for a good time.**

 **I mixed up Jynx and Victory's weapons for a while, which was why Victory was using a sword for a few chapters. She prefers long range, though she can use a sword if she has to.**


	41. I got a fever! The only cure is dinosaur

**Know what I noticed? These Games don't have nearly enough dinosaur. When I watch a dinosaur movie, I don't want an hour of "character development" or "plot". I want ninety minutes of dinosaurs fighting and dinosaurs eating things.**

* * *

Delilah Clementine

It was nice of the Gamemakers to put so many things in the Arena for us. There was water all over in flowers and on leaves. It was hardly necessary to learn about edible plants when there were banana and mango trees everywhere. I only worried about what had killed the nine Tributes who had already died.

I saw something moving in the forest on the edge of the horizon. I was about to run when I saw it was a mutt, not a Career. It wasn't a meat-eating dinosaur, either. It was only up to my knee and it was covered in armor. There was a nub on the end of its tail and it walked on four legs. It snuffled around in the leaves and tore a mouthful off to eat. It was kind of cute, and I watched it roam.

When I heard something bawl like a cow, I got more nervous. I turned to my side to watch a much larger version of the dinosaur run toward me. I wasn't sure it saw me and I didn't want to attract its attention, so I froze. It was the size of a car and looked heavy enough to squash me without noticing. It didn't look mean, but I was afraid it thought I was after its baby. The dinosaur looked right at me but stopped between the little dinosaur and me. It bawled at me, then turned and swiped its tail at me. The clublike end whistled past me two feet from my nose and I pondered how close my head came to bursting like a water balloon. My breath heaved as the dinosaur snorted, then turned and poked at its baby with its nose. It looked over its shoulder at me and prodded the baby farther away.

 _I didn't think_ I _was the scary one,_ I thought. I stayed still until the dinosaur was a safe distance away. Only after it was gone did I realize how scary it was, and I laughed nervously so I wouldn't cry.

 _I could write a song about that._ There was a lot I could write about. From getting Reaped to being a traffic cone in the parade, to training, the Bloodbath, losing Gabriel... I'd become a lot stronger. Maybe strong enough to sing again.

* * *

Austin Dallas

Whatever I was, I was me. Nobody could tell me my identity. Not the Capitol, and not the universe. Maybe I could use my unique status as an advantage, remembering what Jay did in his... the older Games.

I had a single heartbeat to react when I heard a hiss like a crocodile right by my ear. I started to bolt straight ahead before I even thought. It seemed impossible to be snuck up on by a dinosaur. Judging by the motion in the trees behind me, the mutt was farther away than it sounded, but it was still far too close, and the movement and height of the trees it was hitting told me it was big. I couldn't fight a mutt that big. My spear would bounce right off. I could only run and hope to get somewhere it couldn't reach me.

I scanned my surroundings for any rock crevices or roots I could hide in, but all I saw was trees. There was no way I could get high enough in a tree before the dinosaur got me. I looked over my shoulder and saw that the dinosaur was impossibly tall, with a long neck and a sail on its back. Its mouth was so long it practically reached me already, and I knew I didn't have much time.

The terrain grew rocky underneath me and I almost stumbled. I looked ahead again and saw I was getting closer to a small ravine. If I could make it that far and jump over the edge, the dinosaur would have to circle around. With its small arms, it couldn't risk a jump that big. I leaned forward to get a tiny boost in speed and prayed I would make it. I launched myself into the air and tried to orient myself so I would land upright. I looked back as the monster reached the edge.

Its feet stopped, but its neck didn't. I saw its jaws open to snap around me and thought back to Jay. That's what always got him: crummy luck. First it was a gang of Careers, and then it was a crazed father. I guess I was right about what I was after all. I was just as unlucky as Jay.

* * *

Gizmo Torrens

 _The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting._

"Watch out for the live wire."

I looked at the second note Acee had sent me. It was clear what she meant, but she had to be just suspicious. Arter was my ally and he had never done anything to hurt any of us. We all wondered what would happen as the numbers got lower, but he wasn't a traitor. Acee was my mentor and I trusted her, but I hoped this time she was wrong.

Our alliance was on the move, looking for a new food supply. We'd drained the orange tree we camped nearby. If we found some of the smaller dinosaurs we might be able to kill them with Nubu's machete or a jury-rigged bow, but mostly we were looking for plants. As we were walking, we heard something crashing far across the Arena, and then a cannon. We were that much closer.

Nubu was the first of us to step into a clearing, and he stopped. We all tensed, but he didn't look scared. He just waved us forward silently and we all came closer to look.

The clearing was full of stegosauruses. They were peacefully eating grass and huffing at each other. There had to have been about twenty of them, from babies to giant males. We watched them cautiously from the edge of the forest, afraid that if we went out we'd spook them into a stampede. Even though we were in the Games, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see a herd of real dinosaurs, as massive and majestic as they were in the books. Whoever of us won would treasure that forever. We retreated a step back into the forest to be safe.

"If we could find a way to make them stampede at the Careers, we could win," Arter said.

"We'd probably get squashed," Zetan said. I thought of our first note. _Use the surroundings to your advantage._ The mutts in this Arena were far stronger than the Careers. If Arter's idea worked, we could clear half the Arena in one strike. We wouldn't even have to fight.

* * *

 **14th place: Austin Dallas- eaten by a spinosaurus**

 **I noticed when I got Austin that he was a lot like Jay. My immediate headcanon was that he was Jay's reincarnation, and with Jayman's permission, it became official. I knew it a voting Games I would have to work hard to differentiate Austin from Jay so he had a chance at votes, so I emphasized his youth and comparative lack of confidence. I grew to like him more as I worked on him, and I think he did end up different from Jay. This time he got to die hard, running away from a giant dinosaur we knew was going to eat someone eventually. Thanks Jayman for Austin. Somehow I have a feeling we'll see him again in some form.**


	42. A Second Helping of Dinosaur

Jynx Susurrus

I never thought Victory would respect me. I thought she saw me as nothing but a pestiferous obstacle on her way to success. It always seemed like I esteemed her more than she esteemed me, and it was encouraging to know she looked forward to fighting me. Most of the other Tributes were probably getting tired and weaker as the Games went on, but I felt like I was thriving. I could have fought forevr and I hoped the Games lasted for weeks. Before, I had been disappointed at the difficulty the Careers were having in hunting the others, but I was beginning to enjoy the prolonged chase.

I was wrong about the Arena as well as Victory. It wasn't all rainforest and thick trees. I came to a river with a wide, flat bank covered only in thin patches of grass that showed the sand underneath. I skirted the water cautiously, expecting some terrible crocodile dinosaur at any moment. However, the river could be a good thing. It might have fish in case my sponsors grew stingy, and of course there was water.

A shadow fell across me and I whirled around, expecting a mutt. I expected a mutt, but I didn't expect to see what looked like a small, organic plane blocking out the sun and soaring toward me. I couldn't imagine how an animal that big could fly, and how it could fly so silently. It was coming straight for me and its long, thin beak was filled with enough teeth to make me nervous.

I barely had time to put up my sword before it hit me. It grabbed me around the waist and lifted me like a feather, needing only one flap of its staggering wings to carry us both up at a dizzying speed. I slashed my sword across its face in an attempt to kill it before it got too high, but most of the blow glanced off its beak. Its teeth dug into my skin and the pressure was nearly unbearable. I twisted painfully in its grip and pressed my sword against its neck, pushing with all my weight on both hands. My sword crunched through flesh and bone and the mutt's head skewed off at a sick angle. Its wings folded and we both started to fall.

We didn't learn much about taking falls in the Academy. The goal was not to fall. I tossed my sword aside so I wouldn't land on it and tried to cover my head. When we hit the ground, I was still in the mutt's mouth. Even as gravity smashed me into unforgiving sand, the force of the landing crunched the mutt's jaws together. I felt my ribcage implode and blood spurted from my mouth. I tried to regain my wind and the breath sucked wetly in my lungs. I pushed at the mutt's jaws and wiggled free to lie on the bloodstained sand.

I killed the mutt, but I think it killed me back. I was so torn up inside I didn't know if any of my bones were still connected to the rest. I could feel my ribs penetrating through my lungs. In the end, I wasn't the best, but I did all I could. I killed a mutt the size of a hovercraft and I survived a week with the terrible lizards most people only read about in books.

 _It's all you now, Victory. Make it count._

* * *

 **Arter Wire**

We were in deep trouble. In front of the rest of the alliance, Gizmo was looking into the eyes of a very familiar and terrifying mutt. Most of the dinosaurs so far in the Arena had been unchanged, but this one was truly a muttation. We all knew the old stories and shows were wrong about velociraptors. They were small like chickens, and there was no way to know how smart they were. This one was what we all thought of when we pictured velociraptors: two-thirds as tall as a man, with wicked claws and intelligent eyes. The thing looking back at Gizmo knew exactly what we were and exactly what he was going to do to us.

"Nobody move," Gizmo said. We were in a clearing. The edge of the forest was within running distance, but if it was for us, it was for the dinosaur. It trilled lightly and tilted its head as it looked at us. I quailed and inched closer to the back of our alliance.

"There's only one," Arter said. "If it calls the others, we're done. We need to make it think we're too hard to attack. Everyone circle together so it can't sneak behind us. Try to look big. Spread out your arms and stretch your shirts." All the while he was talking, the dinosaur was sizing us up.

We started to form a circle, and the dinosaur flinched. It took a step forward and I saw death coming for me. I saw its teeth and claws and knew it could rip through me like paper. I was feet away from my nightmare. Death was in front of me, and I fled from it.

"Arter!" Gizmo yelled as I turned and broke for the forest. The dinosaur might not want to chase after just one person. If it did, I knew the others would stop it. Let it attack them, not me. Anyone but me. I heard Gizmo calling out a new plan as I reached the edge of the forest.

Even more death greeted me. A series of barking calls rang out and I looked at a line of mutts in front of me. Velociraptors traveled in packs. We'd thought the one we saw was out scouting for prey, but it wasn't. It was the decoy. While we were making our plan, they already had theirs. They knew we would run for the forest. They were waiting for us. Death saw through me, and there was no escape.

* * *

 **Silver Flower**

I never thought I would make it this far. It was a horrible, impulsive decision to volunteer, and I expected to pay for it with my life. I wanted to stay around as long as I could for my ally, but I thought my time in the Arena would be entirely determined by when the Careers happened to see me first.

 _I'm going to be dead,_ I thought. I wondered how everyone would go on without me. So many years went by that I didn't know our District's Tributes, and nothing changed for me when they died. Surely my family and friends would miss me, but they'd go on with life, too. Suddenly, I wanted to leave somethng behind, some final message or directive.

We'd saved all the scraps from our sponsors, just in case anything proved useful. I took the wrapper from my chocolate bar and flipped it over to the blank interior. I snapped off a twig and dipped it into a puddle to get mud. Alinta watched curiously as I started to write. It was tedious and I had to keep dipping my twig, but I tapped it out one letter at a time.

 _Will_

 _Mom and Dad can have whatever they want. Give the rest away since I don't need it. I love you and I'm sorry I didn't live._

 _Silver Flower_

"This is my will. I made this," I said as I held the note up for the invisible cameras. I pointed at Alinta. "Alinta's my witness."

"But you're not going to die," Alinta said. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Don't worry. It's just in case," I said. _Just in case. Just in case the inevitable happens._

* * *

 **Victory Amarinthine**

 _"_ _Attention, Tributes. There will be a feast at the Cornucopia tomorrow at dawn. You will find the rewards most impressive. We look forward to hosting you."_

"Well, what do you think about that?" I said. There wasn't much anyone needed this time around, but some Tributes still might go out of ineptitude or stupidity. Of course it made sense for us to be there. Floki was already raring to rip in his equally ridiculous and badass skin suit. Whoever was there better watch out. Prizes might be at the feast, but so would the berserker.

* * *

 **13th place: Jynx Susurrus- Trauma sustained from Quetzalcoatlus attack along with fall from great height**

 **Jynx would have lasted longer in a non-voting Games, since he was a Career. He sustained middling popularity the whole way through and I think the tide changed when he killed Lyra. I always appreciate devoted Careers because the Games stall if no one is killing, although in these Games the dinosaurs are doing most of that. I made sure to get in his meeting with Victory before he went, since I saw this coming as I tracked votes. Thanks UltimateMaxmericaShipper for Jynx. I liked his skills and his drive, and Victory's going to miss him more than she'll ever admit.**

 **12th place: Arter Wire- Eaten by Velociraptors**

 **You can't have a Jurassic Park Arena without Velociraptors. Arter's popularity plummeted after he revealed the ambiguity in his heart, and the Heart Mind Soul alliance had to lose someone eventually. Arter was just trying to stay alive and he definitely wasn't evil. He was harder to pigeonhole than most Tributes, so I had to stretch myself more to write him. For some reason I forgot to write Arter's submitter, but I liked his complex morality and how he was frankly afraid. Many Tributes are impossible brave or heroic. Arter was human.**

 **Usually I'd let people pick who goes to the feast, but I need certain people there for certain interactions. It won't change the order of deaths, of course, since they're predetermined.**


	43. Little Tiny Short Chapter

**Just some cannons before I forget again.**

* * *

 **Mary Ellen Westley-** Maris Calder

Mary Ellen was a monster. She didn't have to do what she did to Moddi. Then she made us all like her. Someone should have stopped her. I should have been brave enough to stand up to her. But it was people like her that won the Games.

* * *

 **Lyra Axelle-** Ree Morning

None of us thought the loud girl would make it that long. We thought she'd die in the Bloodbath with Calista. She must have been smarter than we thought to make it so far. Not that placings mattered in the Games.

* * *

 **Austin Dallas-** Delilah Clementine

My District partner was dead. I hadn't known Austin. Didn't his brother die in an earlier Games? The odds weren't with his family.

* * *

 **Arter Wire-** Nubu Sanders

Arter turned his back on us. We were all just trying to live, but it still hurt. I thought we meant something to him, but we were just his shields. He wound up shielding us in the end. All the mutts gathered around him and his cannon sounded before we could even react. If he hadn't run, they would have surrounded us all, but as it was, we were able to get away.

* * *

 **Jynx Susurrus-** Victory Amarinthine

I didn't want to see Jynx in the sky. I wanted to learn of his death when I killed him myself. We were supposed to be the last warriors standing. No one else could have killed him. It must have been the Gamemakers. I cursed the Capitol for cheating us of a glorious battle, and I mourned my one worthy opponent.


	44. Extinction

Maris Calder

Our plan was that I would be the first of the Careers to approach the Cornucopia. I looked the least intimidating and we might be able to convince the others that I wasn't with the pack and was as hard up for supplies as they were. To make it more convincing, we tore up my clothes and smeared mud all over me. Floki took one for the team (without being asked) and slashed his own arm to provide some dramatic blood for my costume.

"We'll come after a few minutes. That way we can flank the Cornucopia and attack the Tributes as they run from you," Victory said. I'd never looked forward to killing, but it was the only way to get home. It was fitting that the feast was to be at the Cornucopia. It was going to be a second Bloodbath.

* * *

Zetan Thompson

We had too much stuff to carry it all easily, but we could also use more supplies. Gizmo thought that in such a lush Arena, most of the Tributes would skip the feast, so we could take a few things and get out. Nubu stayed behind in our camp to watch our other supplies. It was weird just being with Gizmo. He was more quiet and severe by himself.

We were the first ones at the Cornucopia. Sometimes the Gamemakers tricked the Tributes and didn't put anything out, but this time, there was everything. There was a table heaped with every kind of food imaginable, and the whole Cornucopia was piled with weapons, supplies, and luxuries. I saw everything from canvas tarps to satin sheets. Gizmo started going through the supplies, but I couldn't resist looking at the table. I took a donut with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles and started gobbling it up.

Gizmo noticed the two girls before I did. They were cautiously approaching the Cornucopia with their arms in front of them to show they weren't carrying weapons.

"We just want some stuff. We won't take much," the brown-haired girl said. We didn't react as they came closer and started picking a few things out. There was plenty for everyone.

* * *

Silver Flower

It was hard to convince Alinta to stay behind so I could get supplies. She insisted that she was fast enough to outrun the Careers, but she was also more naive than she knew. I managed to convince her that I would be too busy watching her to look out for myself, and I'd feel terrible if she got hurt rescuing me. She finally agreed, but made me promise to bring back candy if I could.

There were already four people at the feast when I got there, but they weren't fighting. They must have remembered me from training, since they hardly reacted when I showed up. I took a bag from the Cornucopia and grabbed some thin blankets and a flashlight. I was heading to the table for candy when I saw Maris approaching. Everyone else at the feast flinched and paused when they saw her. She was one of the Careers, and the others couldn't be far behind.

* * *

Maris Calder

The others were wary as I came closer. I hadn't brought my trident, but they knew who I was. I pretended to limp and put on a scared expression as I got closer. Gizmo and his ally stood next to each other and confronted me.

"What do you want?" Gizmo asked. I tried to sound pained and made my voice high and whiny.

"Please, can I just take a little food and some water?" I asked. "I won't make trouble. There's too many of you." Gizmo looked suspicious, but he didn't move to stop me. Obviously he didn't want to invest energy in a potential fight and leave the supplies open to the others. He let me come closer and watched me in the corner of his eyes.

I had just reached the table when the sky caught fire. A white streak raced across the sky toward us, far too fast to evade. I watched as it shot straight at the table I was standing next to. I didn't even feel it hit me. I did have time to say one thing.

"Mom, cover Toby's eyes!"

* * *

Gizmo Torrens

 _Quickness is the essence of the war._

None of us could have been quick enough to escape that. I should have seen it coming. The age of dinosaurs. What ended it? A meteorite, we think. A meteorite that scorched the sky and made the planet shudder. It was the last, brightest light any of us would see for a long time. For some us, it was the last light we'd see ever.

* * *

Zetan Thompson

"What's that?" I asked Gizmo when I saw the streak. I looked at his face and I knew. There wasn't enough time. I needed more time to say everything.

"Gizmo, you're my best friend. Nubu, too. You're the first-"

* * *

Junie Brett

The light was headed straight for Maris. If it hit her, I'd have to heal her, even if she was a Career. I didn't stop to think that maybe I'd need healing too.

Ree looked scared. She was crying. I took her hand and the light grew bigger.

* * *

Ree Morning

The sky opened up. The Gamemakers pulled the sun out of the sky to smash us all. How did they do that? How was Panem going to live without the sun? I didn't want to live in darkness.

Junie took my hand, and the darkness didn't get us after all. It all ended with light.

* * *

Silver Flower

My will was back with Alinta. She could take it back for me. And I did pray she made it back. I knew I wasn't going to. It wasn't right anyone should die, but I made it as right as I could. I faced the inevitable with no fear. I didn't let anyone die in my place, and I was ready.

* * *

Nubu Sanders

The Arena shuddered and I thought the Gamemakers were tearing it apart. Trees toppled around me and revealed a sky as gray and blank as slate. I couldn't see the sun and the temperature plummeted. Noise like I'd never heard shattered the air and I wondered if any cannons had gone off. They would have been impossible to hear. The tremors threw me to the ground and I huddled on the grass, hoping the falling trees and flying branches would miss me. Dust swirled in the air and choked me. Hurricane-like winds tossed my hair and ripped at my clothes. I felt like a leaf in a storm. Something cataclysmic had just happened, and for a moment, I thought I might be the only one left alive.

* * *

 **Waaaaay back when the Arena was unveiled, someone commented "but that's been done already." _DONE ALREADY?_ I huffed. _Oh shoot, she's right._ But has THIS been done? Maybe, but it's still cool. I've been waiting to get to the halfway point so I could smash a meteor into Jurassic Park. I tallied the votes and the bottom half went. The entire Arena is devastated now, and everything has changed.**

 **11th-6th place: Impossible to tell apart since they all pretty much died at once.**

 **Maris Calder- Struck by meteor**

 **Maris was unconventional because she was Reaped. She balanced above average skills with a below average killing drive for a Four girl. However, she fit in this pack because Victory knew she could trust her and Floki only killed people he thought would fight mightily. Maris was able to skate by, but she was never a frontrunner. The votes caught up with her and out she went. Thanks Madam Pepper Potts for Maris. She brought some balance to the Pack and she was never a monster.**

 **Zetan Thompson- Struck by meteor**

 **Zetan started as a bully but reformed as soon as he had half a chance. He was a great addition to his alliance. He didn't have many votes either way, but it was enough to put him in the bottom half. This time, the votes have been far more evenly spread, and the margins are smaller. I liked Zetan because he got nicer. I'm a sucker for that. Thanks foreveralonecountryclub for Zetan. He wasn't perfect, and that made him more perfect than a lot of Tributes.**

 **Gizmo Torrens- Struck by meteor**

 **Gizmo was a sharp cookie. My dad loves The Art of War, so it was fun finding appropriate quotes for each of his POVs. He always had a plan, but no one could anticipate a giant meteor. Nubu will miss both him and Zetan. Now Body, Mind and Soul is just soul, and the soul is sure to be hurting. Thanks Seungripanda98 for Gizmo. I liked how he managed to be smart without being another cliche.**

 **Ree Morning- Struck by meteor**

 **Ree had barely been hanging on for multiple chapters. People didn't like her tragic past, but she never wallowed in it. She and Junie were like two friends hanging out, and I liked their interactions. She did the best she could with what she had. Thanks TranscendentelvenRanger for Ree. I didn't sent the stuff because she was already dead, and I didn't sent the note because I didn't put in the electric fences. Ree was a normal girl in the Games, and that's what they'd be like in real life.**

 **Junie Brett- Struck by meteor**

 **Junie never got much attention from the voters. They finally decided to do her in, but not by much. I always love outgoing Tributes because they get dialogue moving. I liked Junie's light heart and her devotion to others. Thanks TranscendentelvenRanger for Junie. She lit up the Arena and I'm sorry to see her wink out.**

 **Silver Flower- Struck by meteor**

 **Alinta got enough votes to save her, so she didn't go to the feast. Silver was probably never going to win, but I was glad she made it past the Bloodbath. If it had been non-voting I probably would have had to kill her earlier on- nepotism and all. She made it a long way, though, and I'm happy you liked her. Thanks sis for Silver. She had integrity and quiet strength.**

 **VOTING UPDATE:**

 **We only have six now, so we move into phase II. Now you get one vote for Victor and that's it. Also, if you want to provide reasons, it will help give the story depth. The more input you give, the better these stories turn out.**


	45. Harlequin Slums It

"Hello, Panem! I'm your undercover host, Harlequin Marceau, slumming it in the Districts to bring you a glimpse of behind-the-scenes action. For every Tribute, there's a worried family gathered at home, glued to the screen that tells them their loved one's fate. After last night's explosive finale, only five Tributes are left. Tune in for a peek at their families' struggles, fears, and for one, eventual triumphs."

"Victory has always been a winner," Mr. Amarinthine said. "When she was four years old I taught her how to play chess. After our first game, I never won again."

"We Amarinthines are very successful. I know we'll see Victory again soon," Mrs. Amarinthine added.

"I'm sure you will," I added. I left before they realized I hadn't specified what condition their darling would be in.

"With Floki's performance so far, I'm sure you're confident he'll win," I said to the Grimms.

"It's not important. What we want most of all is for him to be valiant. Victors don't get to Valhalla. Only those who die in battle," his mother said.

"V...Valhalla," I said. Looks like I got more than I bargained for. "You'd rather have him die than win?"

"We want the greatest of fates for him. Nothing is better than to fall in battle," his father said. I'd thought Floki was just a kook. Now I saw he'd never had a chance with these whackos.

Delilah's mother was dead, so her father and brother sat with me.

"Are you surprised Delilah made it this far?" I asked her father. He stared dead-eyed at me down the length of my microphone.

"Every day I watch to see if my daughter will die in front of me. Do you have any more asinine questions?" he asked. _There's_ a sound bite that won't see airtime.

"Okay, then. Kince, what's the first thing you're going to say to your sister when she gets back?" I asked her brother.

"I'm going to say the Capitol airhead got my name wrong," he said. And people say it's easy being a Capitolite. See what I have to work with?

Twelve was a dump when I arrived. Usually Polyphemus does these interviews, but he had another engagement. You'd think they would at least clean things up, but when I saw how skinny they were, I understood. That wasn't right.

"It's been a long time since Twelve has lasted so long in the Games. Do you think you might get your first Victor?" I asked.

"I don't care. I want my boy back," his mother said. His brother Harvo was much more helpful.

"Tell Nubu to get back here. Grain won't shut up about him and Chip keeps chirping all night," he said. A furry animal scurried up his pants and chattered at me.

"Is that Chip?" I asked. "He's so adorable! Can I pet him?" I reached out a hand and tapped Chip's nose. As soon as my finger touched him, he darted up my arm and threw himself at me face. I fell backwards in my chair, screaming and batting at him. He jumped back onto Harvo and I ran for the door.

I didn't know how a District so poor could have a family with six kids. Alinta's parents must run themselves ragged just to put food on the table.

"Alinta's a big favorite in the Capitol," I said.

"We used to call her our little pocket lighter," her father said. Her mother buried her face in his shoulder and he turned to embrace her.

"I gave her her necklace," one of the assorted moppets said.

"Did you? You did a great job," I said.

I didn't mind getting out of Twelve. I had a little accident at the train station. I dropped my purse and I just didn't have time to gather the coins that spilled out before the train came. The cameramen disappeared into another car to edit the tape and I didn't envy them. I didn't know how Polyphemus did it every year. Next year, he better clear his schedule.


	46. Night

Acee Hal

All I'd hoped for Moddi was a quick death, and she didn't even get that. Wicked glee burned in me as I thought of what was coming next in the Arena. It was going to be as harsh as the Ice Games so long ago. The others were used to hardship, but the Careers would be lost, like they deserved. Gizmo must have thought the same thing as he died. I was glad such an intelligent young man got to see the heavens and the Earth collide before his cannon sounded.

* * *

District Three

Gizmo's death was felt most deeply in Three's jail. His old cellmates had been hoping he'd spring them after he got back, and he probably would have. Everyone fell over themselves saying how much they missed Moddi, even though most of us shooed her away in life. For us, guilt was more powerful than compassion.

* * *

Toby Cash

There used to be people here with me, people who weren't Lena. They must have gone home. That was good. The Capitol was no place for children. The others stopped bothering us and Lena and I spent our days in the empty training room, playing with leftover paints. Usually we made flowers, but faces kept appearing in my drawings.

* * *

District Six

We had it easy this year. Byke was a brat and Ree was a _spoiled_ brat. If only she hadn't started talking about helping everyone. If she wasn't a brat, we were wrong about her. We would have to feel bad that she died. We refrained from discussing her death and hoped we weren't wrong.

* * *

Sequioa Wilson

In one day I lost both my Tributes. They'd made it so far, even though they seemed unexceptional. Zetan wasn't the bully I thought he was and Junie's reserved strategy meant we got to see what she would have been outside the Games. Neither of them were fighteres. They were just kids the Capitol murdered for a grudge older than any of us.

* * *

District Seven

Every night we went to bed knowing our children were still in the Games. It had been so long since we had this much hope. On the same day, two families lost everything. Zetan's family, unable to bear the constant reminders, gave most of his things to his only friend. Junie's family turned out the lights and shuttered the windows for a long time. That's what we get for hoping.

* * *

Tillo Peters

I hadn't liked Arter. I blamed the Capitol for murderering him and resented another death, but it was easy to move on. I'd known Silver would die, but I allowed my feelings freer reign in her honor. Silver had done something few of us could ever have the courage to do. She put right and freedom before even her life. It could have been Puridee she volunteered for. She deserved life more than any of us Victors and I would cherish and safeguard her memory.

* * *

District Eight

Hardly a day went by that Arter's friends didn't go through another ugly reminder that he was gone. Many of us were ambivalent, since he'd kept to himself, but we acknowledged the loss. We all rallied around Silver's family, doing chores as they mourned and bringing them more food than they could eat. We all wanted her back. She was so good to her ally, and those of us who understood why she'd volunteered knew how much respect she deserved. Every month without fail, Paisley Kruse left a flower on her grave. She would never be forgotten, and her legacy lasted much longer than her short life.

* * *

 **Maris Calder-** Floki Grimm

Did it count as dying in battle? We couldn't know if Maris had started fighting before the stone hit. I wanted everyone to share paradise with me. I decided that it had, and I prepared the proper ritual.

Ideally, the fallen warrior was burned and his remains symbolically sent to Valhalla on a raft. I didn't have Maris' body, but I had some of the scraps we tore from her shirt before we sent her to the feast. I wrapped them around the trident she'd left behind and soaked her weapon in some of the fuel from our camp stove. I stood before our fire, the only light on this cold, moonless night, and held it to the sky.

"Maris Calder. Detta bardagi, voxtr blud," I intoned. _Maris Calder. Fallen in battle, rise in blood._ I laid her trident in our fire and watched the scraps burn away as the metal began to glow and warp. Soon she would have it again for use in all her heavenly battles.

* * *

 **Junie Brett-** Victory Amarinthine

Six of our enemies gone just like that. I'd seen those girls in training. Killing them was just going to be a job, not a pleasure. They were nice and they weren't fighters. I'd have done it, but it was just as well the Gamemakers did it for me. Sometimes it seemed like they were even more ruthless than I was.

* * *

 **Silver Flower-** Alinta Fintan

I pressed my knose between my knees curled by my chest and shivered. My tears each warmed me for a second, then made me even colder. It was pitch black and the air was full of choking dust. The only light came from the faces in the sky.

I shouldn't have let her go. I shouldn't have asked her to look for candy. She might have come back then. This was my fault. I thought of Silver looking for blankets to keep me warm and food to keep me alive. It was so warm before. How could it be so cold? I curled into the broken remains of a ruin tree and hoped the sun would come out soon.

* * *

 **Gizmo Torrens**

 **Zetan Thompson-** Nubu Sanders

We should have left Gizmo behind instead. He was the smartest and he deserved to win. In my heart I'd always wondered if I was brave enough to stand with my allies until the end. Now I'd never know. It should have made me happy, but maybe finding out I was a coward was better than always wondering. Zetan wasn't going to have his family. Back home, most people probably thought he didn't deserve one. They didn't know him. They didn't know anything about the Games.

* * *

 **Ree Morning-** Delilah Clementine

I never thought I'd be in the final five. I saw all the faces of people I'd outlived and my song took shape.

"Work all day for other's gain

I get back up, I stand up

I seen death and I seen pain

I get back up, I stand up

They send darkness and cold to knock me down

I get back up, I stand up

Can't bury me in the empty ground

I get back up, I stand up

I used to think I couldn't fight

I get back up, I stand up

Now I know my strength, I see the light

I get back up, I stand up

Spear or sword, flame or fire

I get back up, I stand up

You won't stop me, I'll rise up higher

I get back up, I stand up..."

* * *

 **For this latest of Delilah's songs, I looked to slave music. This one actually has a tune that works for it. Traditionally it would also be accompanied by clapping or stomping. The original tune was for a song called "You gonna reap just what you sow".**


	47. Heavenbound

Delilah Clementine

The night was never going to end. It had to have been fifteen hours. There was no trace of light. I couldn't even see the stars. It was like I'd gone blind. I didn't know how the Gamemakers expected us to do anything like this. We couldn't see to fight.

I felt a fine layer of dust all over me, and it caught in my lungs with every breath. It was so cold I was curled into a ball, and I blew warm breaths onto my stiff fingers. My stomach fluttered with emptiness and chill and I hissed when an exposed portion of my back touched the icy ground.

 _It's a rainforest. Why is it so cold?_ Something brushed against me in the darkness and I pulled back with a yelp. I heard something tiny scurrying and then it poked my arm. I laid a hand on it, expecting it to be a rat, and felt cold scales.

 _It's one of the mutts. It's cold and it found me,_ I thought. I stayed still and let the little creature burrow into the crook of my arm. It was trying to live, just like me.

It must have been some time later that I saw the first light. A spot of ground started to glow, and then a yellow-green light rose up from it. I cowered further into the roots I was hiding in. _It's a soul. The Gamemakers sent ghosts,_ I thought. Tears warmed my face and then chilled it. But the soul didn't come closer. It just drifted around as others joined it. There were more than six, so it must not have been the ones who died at the feast. Faintly, I remembered something I'd learned long ago in school, and then I wasn't afraid.

Our teacher had told us about gases collected in plants and dispersed under pressure. I was seeing pockets of phosporus from the dying plants around me. It usually happened in swamps or wet places, like a rainforest. The Gamemakers must have planned the meteor a long time, and they seeded the ground with chemicals.

It wasn't as scary with the orbs dimly lighting the Arena. I almost wished they'd come closer so I could feel the heat they were giving off. I would have gone out to them, but I couldn't bear to uncurl and feel the cold all over my body. I curled around the tiny mutt and laid my head on the ground. I'd been up since the meteor hit. I was tired. When I woke up, the sun would finally be out again.

My body heat leached into the ground under me until it wasn't cold anymore. As I relaxed, I continued my song in a whisper.

 _In the dark of night, I still see hope_

 _I get back up, I stand up..._

* * *

Alinta Fintan

There was another cannon in the night. I was afraid it was mine for a minute. I thought I'd frozen to death. I was huddled deep in the roots of a tree, wrapped in some leaves and whatever bits of trash I had left from old sponsor gifts. My arms were pulled inside my shirt and my shirt was stretched over my knees. My skin was icy cold and I couldn't stop shivering.

A few feet from my tree, a greenish orb appeared in the air. _A Will o' the Wisp,_ I thought. We told stories about things like that in Twelve, but I'd never seen one. I told the story to myself as I shivered and watched the orb.

 _Will o' the Wisps are tricky creatures. They appear to lost travelers in the woods. They say they'll guide them to safety. Instead they flit from one tree to the next, leading the traveler deeper and deeper into the woods. They stop playing once you get scared, though. They're not wicked. Sometimes they're even nice. If someone dies in the woods and they can't find their way to Heaven, Will o' the Wisps show them the way._

That's what they were there for. The Tributes that died in the Arena were too far from home. The Will o' the Wisps had come to show them. I thought maybe losing Silver would make me lose hope, but I saw it rising again with the orb. Silver would definitely go to Heaven. She was really nice. It was right for her to be there, and I hoped she got an extra good reward. I wondered which one was Silver's Wisp. The orbs bobbed around and floated lazily toward their destinations. There would be a lot of them going to the Cornucopia. I found one drifting that direction and poked my chin out of my shirt to talk to it.

"Please, can you find Silver Flower? Tell her I'm sorry and I miss her. And tell her I'm not afraid, okay?" I asked. The Wisp stayed still for a moment, like it was memorizing my message. Then it floated away, and others came to take its place. One hovered outside my tree, but I didn't need it. I'd find my own way through life.

* * *

 **5th place: Delilah Clementine- frozen to death**

 **The votes for these Games have been confusing. They've been almost dead even the entire Games. Last time they tended to cluster around the stronger Tributes and a handful of favorites, but this time the deaths were almost random. Delilah stuck around this long because she got like three life votes and two death votes. I didn't think she'd last this long because people want a strong Victor, but she more or less slipped through the cracks. It was really fun writing all her songs and I both look forward to future singers and hope I don't get twelve next time. Thanks Dopey15 for Delilah. She was quietly strong and hardship refined her like fire.**

 **In such a hospitable Arena I didn't expect many natural deaths, but then the asteroid hit. My research told me the ash would block out the sun, leading to total darkness and plummeting temperatures. I don't think the Games will last long enough for the ash to settle, so the rest of the Games will be fought in a nearly pitch black Arena with dying vegetation. Most of the mutts also died, but some got through.**


	48. Destiny Awaits

**The dinosaur Delilah sheltered was a procompsognathus, which takes care of that request and also the pet dino request, as well as I could.**

* * *

Alinta Fintan

The sun was never going to come out. The comet must have hit it on the way down. The Will o' the Wisps dotted the Arena with tiny lights. They were bright enough that I could see the whole Arena was falling apart. The trees were all flattened and gray dust covered everything. I could see giant dinosaurs lying where they'd died. There was a long-necked one like at the Bloodbath, and a whole bunch of skinny ones that looked like ostriches. Some of them were still alive. Once I saw the king of them all. I watched a giant T. Rex walking between the bodies and munching on them. He sort of rumbled with his throat and then roared at the sky. I wished Silver could have seen it, but it would have scared her.

My skin was starting to turn pale and it felt brittle. I'd barely moved from my nest, and I could have drunk a whole river. I thought I was imagining things when I heard a soft tune playing, like from a music box. I couldn't see the parachute until it was right in front of me. It was the biggest box I'd gotten in the Games, and it was marked with both an eight and a twelve.

It was hard to get it open with my stiff fingers. I felt heat on my hands when I felt around inside. I pulled out a hot canister and shoved in under my shirt, shuddering with pleasure as it warmed me up all over. I could smell that it was soup, but I waited until it was cool to open it. While I waited, I wrapped the soft, furry blanket I found in the box around myself, and for the first time since the comet hit, I didn't feel like I was dying.

It didn't seem like things could get any better, but there was more. There was a flashlight to light up the night. The last things of all were the most important. The candy necklace I found had a silver sugar flower on it, just like the flower printed on the wrapper of my bar of chocolate.

* * *

Victory Amarinthine

It was a little creepy in the Arena after the meteor hit. The Anthem had played twice, and that was the only way we knew it had been two days. It was going to be nearly impossible to find the other Tributes now. The only way we could see them would be to bring torches, and then they'd be able to see us. One of them had died already, probably from cold. We could wait until the cold took the others, but that would mean a long stay in this black abyss. And it would be horribly shameful to come home with the number of kills we had. I knew Floki was restless, too. If we didn't get some action soon, he'd figure out that the only opponent worthy of him was sitting right next to him.

We'd thought the mutts were dead, so I didn't know what to make of it when I saw half a dozen pairs of eyes reflected in our fire. I grabbed my bow and readied an arrow as Floki stood up and wielded his axe.

I didn't expect to hear a squawk instead of a roar. The closest pair of eyes came closer to the fire and its light revealed a giant bird. It had a curved beak as long as my forearm and its long legs looked like they could kill a lion with one kick. Its friends followed it and surrounded us. They looked almost comical with their top-heavy bodies and bobbing gait, but there was nothing funny about this encoutner. The first one chirped and hesitated, cocking its head and examining us, and I seized the moment. I sent an arrow through its eye and it collapsed. The others surged forward and attacked.

* * *

Floki Grimm

After so long, finally I could fight again. I didn't need to work myself up. My impatience and anticipation surged out of me and my blood boiled without any preparation. I charged the nearest bird, which was running at me at the same time. I swung my axe at it and shattered its neck before it could even reach me. I was disappointed at how easy it had been, but one of its brothers attacked me from behind. A blow like a sledgehammer hit my back and I fell heavily onto the ground, knocking the air out of me. I flipped onto my back and dodged as the bird's beak hit inches from where my head had been. I couldn't get my axe up at such close range, so I pummeled the bird's head with my fists. It bit my arm and its sharp beek ripped a trough in my flesh. I clawed at its eyes with my other arm and it dropped me. It tried to rear back, but I wrapped both arms around its neck and it hauled me upward. I pressed one hand to its temple and bent sideways, pulling its neck closer with one hand as the other shoved its head away. Its neck snapped and the bird fell twitching to the ground.

I didn't hear anything from Victory, and I whirled to check on her. She was trying to nock an arrow while four birds charged at her from all around. I had wanted my battle with Victory to be the last act of the Games. Alinta was a mere child and Nubu, though honorable, would not be able to stand against me. If I had left Victory to die, I would surely have won, but I could not do that. For my own reasons, I ran to her aid.

I collided with one of the birds and knocked it sideways. Victory scuttled backward, trying to find a position where she could fire. While I fought my bird, the one nearest it joined the battle, and they sniped at me from both sides.

"Go!" I yelled to Victory. She was pulling back an arrow.

"What? Get down and I'll shoot it!" she said. The other two birds wavered between me and her, and one ran at her.

"Find your victory. Let me find mine," I said. Victory was my blood sister, born to the same world of warriors. She understood my plea. She held a curled hand to her eye in the salute of One and ran into the night, pausing only to shoot the bird that tried to follow her.

The remaining three turned to me. I held my axe across my body to block the tearing beaks that came at me. I parried their attacks and drove them back with my own blows. One of the birds rammed into me and knocked me onto my back. It planted its foot on my chest and held me down while the others flanked me. They started to tear their beaks into my chest and my blood spattered them and the air. The handle of my axe was too long to wield from my position, so I snapped it and held the head in my hands, sticking into their legs and faces as they bit me. I screamed my battle cry even when the air from my lungs was soaked in blood. When this was over, none of them would survive much longer. But I would die first, while the battle still raged. That is why I told Victory to leave. I was strong, perhaps stronger than she. If I slew her, my last battle would end in peace. I did not want peace. I wanted the halls of Valhalla, and my transportation was not a ship, but three pairs of wings.

* * *

 **4th place: Floki Grimm- killed by three terror birds**

 **Floki was insanely popular. The reviews from his Reaping and the PMs I got about it were overwhelmingly positive. People said he was like nothing they'd ever seen and they loved him. Just about everyone who voted for him to die mentioned that it was because they didn't think he wanted to win, but to die in battle. I had this planned for him for a while, but the votes were so close I couldn't do it until now. Thanks CarlpoppaLOL for Floki. He was the bomb. He was these Games' dark horse, and he earned his place in that hall.**

 **Speaking of votes... the final Three are in a dead tie. If you voted for Floki last time or haven't voted recently, your vote matter like never before. One vote can change everything. I haven't been counting votes older than a few chapters ago because characters change and votes might have too. I'll be gone all weekend for work, so make your mark and break the tie. When I get back, I anticipate I'll know who the Victor is.**


	49. Judgement Day

Victory Amarinthine

I could barely find my way back to the Cornucopia in the dark. I tended to my wounds, which weren't severe, thanks to Floki. With him gone I was a shoo-in, but the Games weren't over yet. Sometimes underdogs come from behind, and I didn't want that to happen. I'd played a lot of games in my life, but this was the one that really mattered. All my life had built toward this moment. I couldn't choke now.

I'd waited a night, as close as I could tell, to get some rest and in the hopes that Alinta or Nubu might freeze to death in the frigid Arena, but no luck. I could tell the Gamemakers were growing impatient. An annoying buzzing started ringing in my ears at the end of my rest. When I started to go hunting again it got louder. I turned and went the other way and it stopped. In a pitch-black Arena like this, it must have been the only way to ensure we'd find each other.

It was awfully quiet without Floki. He really was as brave and perilous as he'd seemed. I hoped the crazy old badger really was drinking ale in Valhalla. There was no one else like him in all Panem.

Far ahead of me in the distance, a light winked on. It wasn't like the weird ghost lights the Gamemakers had sent. It was artificial. It was clearly a flashlight, and I took action the moment it lit up. I yanked back an arrow and hastily aimed. The light was far away, nearly out of range, but I was an expert. I aimed low, in case it was Alinta, and pulled the string back as far as I could. The arrow vanished into the night.

The light jerked and fell. I smiled, but I didn't get up to go yet. The cannon hadn't sounded. I wanted to know who it was so I could better prepare for my final battle, but a wounded Tribute could be dangerous. If it was Nubu, he might be able to fight back. I knew my target didn't have long, though. The light was still on. Its owner was either unable or too panicked to shut it off to avoid detection. When the cannon sounded, I'd check my kill and remove anything the remaining player might be able to use. Until then, I'd wait.

* * *

Nubu Sanders

"Mama. Mama."

That could only be the little girl. I'd been wandering through the fallen trees, trying to gather leaves to line a shelter, when I heard her. Her voice was soft and airy. I wouldn't have heard it if the Arena wasn't so silent.

I followed the voice to a cluster of rocks and saw the light from her flashlight around the corner of a short cliff. Its beam fell across her head, faintly illuminating her as she lay on her side on the freexing ground. I could only see the arrow through her midsection by the long shadow its shaft cast in the light. She reached out an arm for the flashlight and pulled herself toward it weakly.

I ran to her side and knelt by her. On my way I stumbled across the loose rocks and fallen branches on the slope, and I realized that was why she'd turned the flashlight on. She heard me coming and looked up, but she didn't pull away. She was surrounded with sponsor gifts, everything from a blowgun to a tent.

"Can you help me find my mother?" she asked. Up close, I could see the blood running from her wound. I crouched over her and wrapped my arms around her, but her skin was icy cold. I thought about pulling the arrow out, but it would just hurt her more. She started to cry, and her body shook with pain and fear.

"It's okay," I said, as meaningless as it was. The girl looked around at the darkness and curled tighter in on herself.

"There are no wisps," she said. Her voice was getting weaker, and I had to lean in to hear it.

"Don't worry," I said. More useless words.

"It's because I killed her. They won't show me the way," she said. She was so weak she could barely cry. I thought she must have been mistaken. Surely this little girl couldn't kill anyone. But she was scared, so I pretended.

"What way?" I asked. I took her hand and tried to hold her together.

"The way to heaven," she said. My next words weren't meaningless.

"No, you'll get there. It's not your fault. All little girls go to heaven," I said.

"Are you sure?" she asked. She looked up and saw something over my shoulder. Her face lit up and she tried to get up. I looked behind me and saw one of those strange lights that came after the sun went out. The girl reached for it and winced when she couldn't get any closer.

 _Is that what she means?_ I thought. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the light. It smelled odd and it flickered like a floating fire. The girl reached for it and her hand paused a few inches from it.

"It's warm," she said.

* * *

Alinta Fintan

The Will o' the Wisps came after all. They came for Silver, and I knew she was good. If they came for me, I was going to the same place after all. The Arena was cold as ice, but the Wisp was warm on my fingers. It would take me where Silver was and I would see her again. She would stay with me until Mama and Papa came. I hoped she would still stay with me after that. We'd have a lot of fun together up there. I was going to be a kid forever. I was the luckiest girl in the Games.

* * *

 **3rd place: Alinta Fintan- Shot by Victory**

 **Alinta was divisive. Some people didn't care for her cute parts and how long she lived at her age. I get that, but I liked Alinta. When I read her form, I thought she was the most realistic 12-year-old Tribute I'd ever gotten. She was overconfident. She was optimistic and outspoken. She was playful and idealistic and she was just like most of us were at 12. We all knew that kid who insisted he knew some ancient way to kill a guy with one blow. She was like that. I loved how real she was and I was glad she made it this far. I had hoped she might win, though I dreaded finding a realistic way to do it. I'm sorry she's gone now, but I liked how she developed. She had real guilt about her involvement in Mary Ellen's death and blamed herself for Silver even though it wasn't her fault. Thanks Iloverue08 for Alinta. Her form was short, but it was great. I'll miss her.**


	50. The Votes Are In

Nubu Sanders

The little girl died in my arms. Her cannon sounded over our heads and the noise rang in my ears. I set her down and knelt over her. Why would anyone want this? No matter how much they hate us, why would they want to watch her die? She didn't hurt them. She was just a little girl. She didn't die cursing them or vowing revenge. She was alone and scared that she wasn't good enough for heaven. Heaven belonged to people like her. It was her killers that deserved something else.

Something rustled on her neck as I lowered her. I saw she was wearing two necklaces. One had a flower with a pink center, and the other was made of candy. When I saw that, I lost it. I cried like a baby that she wasn't going to get to eat the candy. Of all the things to mourn, I cried because a little girl never finished a candy necklace. There were so many things that weren't fair. I cried for every one.

I'd barely set her down when the parachutes started coming. One after another they fell, like an army. They could only be for me, but their numbers were all across the board. The first was from Ten. Another from Six, then one from Seven. A round one from Four, and one from Five. Finally, one from Twelve. I wondered if it had originally been for Alinta. Panem had made its choice. It seemed I was their champion, just like I tried to be for the girl. I didn't care about the Games, and I didn't want to unpack more weapons and blood. Then I thought that maybe one had flowers or a note for the girl, and I started opening them.

After I unpacked them all, I was richer than half the people in Twelve. Someone sent me a jacket and gloves, along with a roll of bandages and a bottle of vitamin D tablets. There was a meal of roast meat, but I couldn't bear to eat it. Someone else sent a bottle of water and a meal packet. There was a blanket, which I spread over the girl. A sword from my own District. A thermos of soup, a first aid kit, two grenades of some sort, and a gas mask.

I opened the round gift last. It was a shield, so balanced and light it didn't seem like it could possibly stop anything. But when I tapped a finger against it, it was like it swallowed up the force. By the light of the floating green things, I could just make out a design of alternating circles.

I knew I should take my things and go. Victory would want to know who she'd shot. She was like a shark, waiting for her victim to bleed out so she could feed. She'd be coming soon, and I had no business fighting her. But I didn't want to leave. I wanted to face her and make her see what she'd done. I could feel all of Panem behind me, begging me not to put their gifts to waste. Then I realized I didn't need any of the things they'd sent, as much as I appreciated them. I lifted Alinta and set her down in a hollow between two fallen branches, removing the arrow from her and hiding her out of sight. I went back to where she'd died. Her blood had dripped onto the ground, and it covered me from when I'd held her. Victory would follow the sound of the cannon and the smell of blood. She'd arrive soon.

* * *

 **Victory Amarinthine**

No matter who I killed, it all came down to One and Twelve. Panem's jewel versus Panem's embarrassment. If it was Alinta left, she'd played a good game but she was out of her league. If it was Nubu, it was a good showing, but no cigar. Victory was in my grasp. I was about to live up to my name.

I reached the fallen flashlight, but there was no body. I picked the light up and circled it around, looking for the telltale blood. I found the trail and followed it. A short distance away, I saw the body. I could see right away it was Nubu. It was far too tall to be Alinta. The Game was over, then. I had nothing to fear from Alinta. I saw the packages littering the ground around Nubu and was glad I reached him first. Even if Alinta couldn't use the blowgun or machete against me, the food could have dragged things on another few days.

I walked up next to Nubu to take the machete by his side and the shield draped over his hand. I almost laughed at whoever sent him that. Unless he had training, a shield would only get in his way. His other hand was still loosely curled around the arrow in his stomach. I bent over the body, and it came to life.

* * *

 **Nubu Sanders**

Victory leaned over me. When her head was as near as it was going to get, I lunged upward, smashing into her face with my shield. I felt her bones crack and the force knocked her onto her knees. While she was still falling, I shoved her backwards again with the shield. She toppled onto her back and I picked up my machete. I jumped to my feet and dropped my shield, gripping the machete handle with both hands. I bent over it and shoved it into her, bearing down with all my weight. I staked her like a vampire, like the blood-spilling beast she was. The blade went through her and stuck into the ground, like a flag. _Like a victory flag..._

"What?" she gasped wetly. I couldn't believe she was still alive. Her face and body were streaked with blood. She didn't move, but only looked up at me. "Your cannon..."

"It wasn't mine," I said. I pointed at Alinta. Victory looked and saw the bit of blanket peeking from between the branches. "It belonged to a little girl. The one you killed."

I thought Victory might have a shred of guilt left in her. Instead, she just laughed.

* * *

 **Victory Amarinthine**

 _You sly dog._

I didn't shoot Nubu. He was holding the arrow against his chest like the age-old practical joke. Of course I wouldn't suspect. Not when I heard the cannon. I got outplayed by a rube from Twelve. I was always so good at Games. Who could have seen this coming? Blood dribbled from my mouth as I broke into laughter.

"Well played," I said.

* * *

 **Nubu Sanders**

I thought I'd be happy when Victory died. Instead, she just looked like another dead girl. Instead of feeling like I'd brought justice, I felt like I'd become exactly what the Capitol wanted me to be. I couldn't say I was better than they were when I was a killler just like them.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" I said to Victory. I pulled the machete out and tried to pull her to her feet. She was limp and lifeless as a coil of rope. I threw the machete as far as I could and wound my bandages around her chest.

Suddenly her face was awash in light. I heard the hovercraft approaching and turned to flag it down. When it landed, I pressed on Victory's wound and called them over.

"We're here!" I yelled. There was still time. They could still save her. Two men came out and pulled me away from her. I tried to tell them that I wasn't hurt, only her. Another man crouched by her and I could finally relax. I let them take me away and hoped they had come in time.

* * *

 **There we have it. No two Games ever end the same. Sometimes there's a fight, sometimes one Tribute simply outlasts, and this time, there was a trick. Nubu didn't end up using hardly any of his supplies, but I did manage to get the shield in there. I'm very happy that Captain America himself is among the Victors, since of course it's impossible to separate Nubu from that faceclaim.**

 **2nd place: Victory Amarinthine- stabbed by Nubu**

 **Victory was one of a few Tributes whose votes were stable all through. Aside from people who didn't like any of the Careers, most people liked Victory. She was devoted and skilled, but not as mean as most Careers. She just didn't seem to realize how much pain she caused. It was all a game to her, and she didn't see that most people didn't want to play. With a name like that, she was destined to go far, and she almost won. This wasn't as close as Tillo and Calvary, but she had a good amount of votes. Thanks Ultimatemaxmericashipper for Victory. She was a really cool Career. I liked her, and I don't usually like Careers. She was pretty kicking, and I wouldn't have been mad if she'd been chosen.**

 **Victor: Nubu Sanders**

 **Of course I liked Nubu as soon as I saw his face. However, I didn't think he'd win. I had no reason not to. I just didn't get that feeling that people would pick him and he'd last a long time. I'm glad he did, though. Demi's going to be through the roof, and I'm glad she can stop killing herself with stress. Most fans think Twelve's other Victor was a girl, and I always did too. Since I don't require exact matches in order that everyone has the same chance, it doesn't matter. We'll probably see a lot of Nubu for a long time, since Twelve doesn't get many Victors. I look forward to it. YesMyLordCiel, you made it big. Like Nubu, you're now part of an elite group. Yours is even smaller, since I've only written eight Games.**

 **Stay tuned for a few wrap-up chapters and the inevitable set up for the next Games. Now I can write as fast as I want, since the voting is complete.**


	51. Coronation

Nubu Sanders

"Is Victory all right?"

Blinding light seared my eyes and I threw my hands over them protectively. I wasn't sure why I was in a hospital bed. Victory was the one that got hurt. I'd barely gotten a scratch in the whole Games. There weren't even any doctors buzzing around. I'd caught a glimpse of Demi sitting by my bed, but that was it. I really wasn't sure why I heard her burst out crying as soon as I sat up.

"What's wrong?" I asked. No man ever knows what to do when a woman cries. We always feel like it's our fault we didn't fix it before it was too late.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said. "It's been so long." I opened my eyes in a narrow squint and awkwardly patted her back, even though it seemed inappropriate.

"Don't worry. I'm okay. I didn't even get hurt. Can you turn off the light? And is Victory okay?" I asked.

"It's all right. She's dead," Demi said. I sat up straight and she sort of slid sideways off me, almost falling off her chair. She tried to play it off like she was just standing up and she went to the door to flip the light switch. It was too late, though. My eyes were already tearing up for a different reason.

"She's dead?" Then I killed her. I didn't even think about it at the time. Only after the blade punched through her did I realize she was a person just like the little girl. She was a killer, but I didn't bring justice by killing her too. I only removed any chance she had of changing. I didn't avenge a murder. I committed one. And then I was crying and Demi was awkwardly patting _my_ back.

"What's wrong? You're the Victor. We don't have to do this anymore," Demi said.

"They don't get to go home," I said.

* * *

I'd forgotten how much the Capitol changed Victors until I went to see my stylists. I was relieved to see they hadn't changed much. I must have already matched their standards for beauty. I was more muscular and they tanned my skin. My jaw was a little squarer and I was an inch taller. I didn't want to think about how they did that, and it threw off my balance. It was like I was trying to walk while I was drunk.

I was in such good shape it was hardly any time at all before I went to get crowned. The only affect from the Arena was slight malnutrition, which wasted my body and made my hair brittle. They fixed that before the stylists even got to me. It was like nothing had happened at all. But they couldn't cover anything up. I knew what we'd gone through, and all Panem had seen it.

I'd seen Harlequin run both hot and cold, but she seemed genuinely happy to see me. From what I'd seen from past Games, she preferred outliers to Careers, and she didn't let any Tribute give her crap. I was raised to be polite, and she must have approved.

"At last, the debut of Twelve's first Victor!" she said as I came onstage. Fanfare and applause blasted through the room, reminding me of how the Arena shook that night. I wa glad when it stopped as I took my seat.

"I'm so glad to see you back, Nubu. Aren't we all?" Harlequin said, and the crowd shouted agreement. "I was rooting for you from the start. Of course I'm not allowed to sponsor, but I was ready to call in a few favors. But you did it all by yourself! You've made us all proud."

 _Proud of what?_ She just said she didn't have anything to do with it. And why would she be proud if she did? She wouldn't have been so proud if _she_ had been my final opponent. She wouldn't be rooting for me then.

"I'm glad it's over," I said.

"You said it. It was all tremendously exciting, of course, but I couldn't bear much more. My nerves are fried," Harlequin said. Naturally, she was only playing it up for the cameras. She knew her discomfort couldn't compare to my terror.

"Speaking of impatience, let's see some replays," Harlequin said. The screen behind us flashed on and the recap started. For a few minutes, it was like my allies were alive again. I treasured every moment I saw Zetan, Arter, and Gizmo alive with me. I saw us lying around, joking and laughing. They showed Arter's death, and the first crack appeared. I wanted to jump through the screen and save him. Some people in the audience hissed. I wished they'd remember what he was before the Games, not the Capitol mockery of him.

Most of the recap was devoted to the mutts. It felt strange to think I'd been in an Arena of dinosaurs and I'd barely seen any of them. All the Tributes with the coolest stories were dead. When I saw the asteroid hit, I finally knew what made the Arena break that day.

The fanfare was loud again when Galba came to crown me. I'd never seen her so close before, and I saw she was older than she looked. There were stress lines and a tightness to her face she never let the cameras see. Sometimes the crowns she gives out are complex or personalized, but mine was simple. It seemed to represent my Arena, not me. But then, my role in these Games was pretty boring. My crown was a basic king-type crown, but it was dark blue, almost as dark as the Arena at the end. It had a single white stone. People in Twelve know stones, and I recognized that it was a moonstone. It must have referred to the asteroid that came down from the heavens.

I was glad when the coronation was finally over. I wasn't a hero, and I didn't deserve a crown for what I did.


	52. Victory Tour

**This chapter and the next are out of chronological order, since I started this one and then realized I needed another one.**

* * *

Nubu Sanders

I was lucky for my Victory Tour. I got to get One over with right away. It was the only one I wasn't looking forward to. It wasn't what I expected, though. Most of the people seemed angry or contemptuous, but a few of them actually seemed to respect me. They were so wrapped up in victory and bloodshed they praised even the boy who murdered their own.

Two was easy. I hadn't known Mary Ellen or Ash. They were happier to see me than One had been. While most of the District were trying not to starve, One and Two were competing over who could get more Victors and kill more children. When I killed Victory, I made sure they didn't fall behind. They were grateful, and I was disturbed.

Seeing Gizmo's people in Three was like seeing ghostly remains of something that used to be complete. I wanted to see him with the rest of them, saying something smart or making some gadget. He would have known what to say, and he'd have written something better than the canned sentiments Demi gave me. Gizmo was all I knew of Three. It didn't seem real without him.

Usually I wouldn't recognize the families of the other Tributes, but I knew the Grimms right away. It was probably the blood and paint smeared all over them that gave them away. They were all carrying mugs of what I guessed was beer, and they toasted me. They looked amused and slightly sympathetic, like it was unfortunate I'd won. It _was,_ but I didn't think I felt that way for the same reason they did.

Some Tributes stuck out more clearly in my memory than others. I remembered Gabriel perfectly. He used to dance around in the cafeteria, and it was really cool to see how he could talk with his hands. The people in Five were as silent as he was. They didn't hold anything against me, since I never saw Gabriel or Lyra in the Arena, but I was just a reminder that they weren't coming back. The Capitol wanted my arrival to be a party, but it was an interruption.

I never interacted with Ree or Byke. I wouldn't even have been able to match the names with the faces if there hadn't been posters. I couldn't fathom the lack of taste the Capitol had, putting those up. It made me glad I never had to go when the other Victors visited Twelve.

The people in Seven didn't like my speech much. Demi let me give input whenever it came to my allies' Districts. I talked about how good a friend Zetan was and how proud I was to be his ally. They grew restless and yelled for me to mention Junie. I couldn't guess why they didn't want to hear about Zetan. He was such a nice guy.

The people of Eight were the most hostile. I guess they must have been afraid I was going to talk badly about Arter. I hadn't planned to, though. I was just going to say how much I missed him. I was going to skip the end entirely. I didn't want to think about it any more than they did.

I wished I could have heard Harmony singing. Her voice was probably as lovely as her face. I hadn't known Buckwheat either, but I wished I had. I told Nine I wished we'd all had more time. I wished that the only time the Districts ever met wasn't when so many of us had died.

Ten, Eleven and Twelve have always been lumped together by the richer Districts. We all have wide open spaces and rural towns. It makes us poorer and hungrier, but sometimes we have more freedom because of it. Peacekeepers hate getting assigned to the slums. I had that in common with Calista and Arden, even if I hadn't known them.

Eleven was right across a fence from us. I never saw it, since there was a mile of Peacekeeper-patrolled no man's land separating us. It was like a whole different world out there. I wondered what it was like for Austin and Delilah living there. To them, I was the one on the other side.

The little girl's name was Alinta. It came back as soon as I got home. Of course I'd seen her at the Reaping. It just all left my mind in the Arena. I didn't see her family there, at least not that I noticed. Seeing me would probably be too painful for them. Almost everyone else in the District was there. This was our first victory and everyone was celebrating. There were so many faces I couldn't tell them apart. There was more food than most of us had eaten in weeks. Everyone wanted to shake my hand and called for me to make speeches. I wished they'd stop celebrating. I was glad we had so much bounty for once, but they didn't have to thank me. I shouldn't have been rewarded for killing a girl. I wished no one knew I was a Victor.


	53. Number the Stars

I didn't know what to think about the other Victors. Part of me thought that they couldn't judge me for doing what they'd done too, and that I'd be safe with them. Another part of me wanted nothing to do with them. I was one of them- a killer. I didn't want to think about it, and spending time with them was like accepting what I'd become. Some of them were so haunted, like Bambi and Toby. Others were proud of what they did. I didn't want to be anything like them.

I'd never met most of them, either. Most Tributes had a connection to at least one Victor, but I didn't have a mentor. I had Demi, and she was as good as some of them. She'd been over the moon ever since I got back. She thanked me every day, like I'd done it just for her. She wore brightly colored dresses like I hadn't seen her wear in years. She talked about how things were going to be better and how she'd help me bring others back. When she wasn't bustling around doing escort duties, she was in the library studying. She wasn't like most escorts. She probably knew a dozen ways to kill me, and I wouldn't have been able to stop her even if I'd had the will. At least seeing her made me feel like I'd done something right.

I would have thought that I would hate the dark after the Arena, but it thrilled me every time I saw a clear sky and real stars. It was hard to see stars in the Capitol, but the Games center was so tall it penetrated the lights and it was like I was sitting right next to the stars. I went up every night to look at them. One night, I gained some company.

"Mind if we drop in?" someone asked from the stairwell. I saw Crag poking his head out, with more heads behind him. He joined me without waiting for permission and the other Victors streamed out after him. There were more than I remembered, and it took a while for them all to come out. Kazuo was the last, and he stayed inside the stairwell after he propped the door open.

"Pretty cool how you won. Especially for a Twelve," Crag said as he looked at Peridot.

"Shut up, Steiner," she growled. If there weren't so many bystanders in the way, they probably would have started fighting. They never stopped playing the Games.

"They're lovely, aren't they?" Mags said as she sat next to me. I wondered if any of them ever thought the same thing I was thinking. There were so many stars in the sky. More than there had been Tributes in the Games, but how many more? Were there as many stars as there were people who had died in Panem, or in all history? It was such a staggering number, and I might be seeing a reflection of mankind in all the lights. And one of them was mine. One bright, prominent star that called for attention as much as Victory had.

"Why would you want to be with me? I'm a killer," I said. They wouldn't be fooled by the Capitol's glamorous makeover. They knew what I was.

"Is that what you think of yourself? None of us see that in you. We all think you're a hero," Bambi said. I hadn't thought he would say anything. When I saw his coronation on television, he looked like a shell. He always seemed guilty, like everything was his fault.

"Speak for yourself," Peridot said. Everyone else was hushed, like they were as surprised as I was that Bambi was talking.

"Most of us won by becoming what the Capitol wanted," he said. He stopped and looked away, like he was chasing off memories. "You never changed. You only killed one person, and she was hunting you. You showed that a Victor could be kind and caring. You're better than the rest of us."

I looked around to see if the others agreed. Sky was crying softly. The Careers mostly looked annoyed. Pray was putting on her tough face like she was afraid we thought she was scared. Erwin was glaring out at the night and Soleil was holding Sky's hand. Mars was wiping his eyes and Drone was hugging his knees.

Then I knew we were all in it together. We all thought we were unpardonable, except those of us for whom this was their greatest achievement. They thought I was the angel and they were the demons. Really, we were all the same. I hoped I could help them see that.


	54. Epilogue

**Now that the Games are over and it won't unfairly affect the votes, I'm enjoying putting in as many superhero references as I can.**

 **I almost forgot to mention Joe, who helped create Nubu. Good job, Joe.**

* * *

People filled the streets and cheered from the rooftops when I came back to Twelve. Posters of my face were everywhere and the people chanted my name. They waved streamers from the windows of buildings and children crowded around me. It was a historic moment in Twelve. Like it or not, my name would be in our history books forever. For the first time in thirty-nine years, District Twelve was the champion of Panem. Boys and girls shoved scraps of paper at me, and I signed them just to make them happy.

I didn't notice the hovercraft until someone screamed. I looked up and saw the parachutes floating toward the ground, and chaos broke out.

"Air raid!" an old woman shrieked. All the elderly people in the crowd started to run or throw themselves under any cover they could find. Parents scooped up wailing children. I saw a man fall, and the crowds ran over him. I pushed my way to him and helped him up.

"It's okay! They're not bombs!" I yelled. Twelve wasn't used to kindness from the Capitol. We knew they sent packages to the winning District, but we'd never experienced it. The older people, the ones that remembered the Dark Days, knew what packages from a hovercraft meant. Even as the Capitolites patted themselves on the back over their kindness, they were terrorizing their people.

The crowd could barely hear me over the uproar. The people fled the streets until I was the only one left. Elderly men and women shouted warnings at me as I stood underneath a descending parachute. I caught it in my hand and the crowd tensed as I opened it.

"See? It's a present," I said. I held up the pair of mittens that had been inside. As quickly as the people had fled, they came flooding back in. The children ran around opening fallen packages and showing their findings to each other and their parents. The hovercraft came back around for a second pass, and for the first time, I was glad I'd won.

* * *

It was empty in the Victor's Village. I took a house by the border, so I'd be closer to the others. I had people over whenever I could, and my family more or less lived there. I wished I had neighbors, but I didn't look forward to what it would take to get more.

When I didn't have people over, I often kept the lights off. I felt exposed in bright light. I tried to keep things quiet, too, and I was glad the Village was far from the mines. I hated it when the ground shook.

* * *

The people of Twelve thought I was a hero. So did most of the Victors. I didn't feel like one. Heroes did what was right and protected people. But as time went by and I thought of it more, I realized that most heroes had something they were trying to atone for. Hercules killed his family. John Henry couldn't stop the machines from taking over the mines. And I killed a girl. They told me I'd done a lot of good things, like caring for Alinta. But that didn't make up for doing a bad thing. It didn't work that way. No matter what, I'd always have that on my conscience.

Demi said that we all have regrets. We can let them consume us, or we can let them drive us to be better people. I wondered what an escort could regret, but Demi was more complicated than she sometimes seemed. Killing Victory was completely bad, but it changed me for the better in some ways. I knew I could never get arrogant or self-righteous again with that on my mind. It made me more mindful of myself, and I was careful to never let anger get the better of me. Even though I couldn't erase it, I always looked for good things I could do to even things out as much as I could. Before, I thought I knew everything. I thought I could see right through people and tell what was in their hearts. Now I knew how complex it all was. Everyone thought they were the good guy. The Careers were so different from me, they thought their way was right. I used to condemn them, but now I felt for them.

So many people looked at me as a hero. If I couldn't stop them, I wanted them to be right. I'd live like the hero they thought I was, even if they were wrong. Maybe someday they wouldn't be.

* * *

 **So ends another SYOT and the second voting Games. In response to a PM question, I plan to do this every so often in future SYOTS. I more or less do it when the mood takes me.**

 **Before you submit Tributes for my inevitable upcoming SYOT, which I will be starting immediately, there's something you should know. Reservations are not necessary and everyone who wants to will be able to participate. This may or may not mean what you think it means ;) That said, it would be prudent to wait until I put the new first chapter up. I shall do so posthaste. I am sure I will see most of you there.**


	55. Alternate Placings

**I forgot I planned to write up what would have happened if there were no votes for these Games! Here they finally are. They're not exact, since the Games develop chapter by chapter and I change my mind all the time.**

* * *

Bloodbaths (not in any particular order):

Lyra Axelle- Just because she wasn't strong enough to win and I needed someone

Byke Sainz- He was meant to die early

Arter Wire- I never connected as well with him and I like to kill one strong Tribute in the Bloodbath

Buckwheat Mager- He was meant to die early

Ree Morning- It would have been either Ree or Junie for more numbers and I liked Junie's cheer

Calista: I wouldn't have killed her except she was submitted as a Bloodbath. I would have wanted to use her mimicry skills.

18th: Harmony Griffith would die the first night to the Career hunters because someone had to and she wasn't strong enough to win.

17th: Moddi Pex would also die to the Careers. She was weak enough to die in the Bloodbath but I keep track of submitters and I've killed a lot of her submitter's Tributes in the Bloodbath.

16th: Ash Smith would die in a mutt attack, likely velociraptors or a T. Rex. Ash was just bland for me and didn't have a particular arc he needed to complete. I'd also want to shake things up and kill a Career.

15th or 16th: Maris Calder would die in the same mutt attack. It would be cool to have two Careers die so early and she was only nominally a Career and wouldn't last past the breakup anyway.

At this point the pack would start to fracture as Mary Ellen got more weird. Meanwhile, Gabriel and Delilah would be doing lovey stuff and developing their romance because I would know they didn't have much time. I'd also add development for Zetan so he was sympathetic before he died.

14th: Gabriel Farad would die by a mutt attack in the night. He was set to die this way and to die early. I would have wanted him to go far and maybe even win, since I really liked him. If I had found a realistic way he may have been my Victor.

13th Arden Grake would die either from Careers or a mutt attack because the Careers need to keep killing. Arden was a last-minute submission because I needed more and his submitter was always more lax with his death.

12th: Silver Flower would die around here because my little sister made her and I don't want to be nepotistic. She'd die in an easy way because how mean would that be? It would probably be natural causes or sickness.

11th: Zetan Thompson would either be killed by mutt or Career, likely Jynx because he hadn't been doing much. By this point I'd just need to cut people whether or not I wanted to, and he wasn't my Victor so he'd go. It's also possible I would have killed Nubu in the same attack, especially if it wasn't for his picture. If Nubu hadn't developed as a hero and had stuck closer to the lines in his profile that mentioned his difficulty maintaining relationships, he would have died earlier.

I don't know if I would have thought of the meteor in this alternate Games- butterfly effect and all. If I had, it would have been around here and it would have killed Junie, Austin, Delilah, and possibly Jynx, but I'll go through them separately in case it didn't happen.

If the meteor didn't happen, the pack would split up about now. Naturally, Mary Ellen would instigate it. Mary Ellen would die in 10th place because Floki and Victory would both retaliate. After that, Floki would want to wait for a final battle and he'd respect Tori's desire to face off with Jynx, so they'd split and he'd promise to avoid Jynx.

9th place: Delilah Clementine would be killed by either Jynx or a mutt, more likely Jynx. I'd just need to cut someone and she'd be the most likely victim.

8th place: Junie Brett would be killed by Victory or by mutt. I really liked Junie but I wouldn't be able to justify keeping her much longer.

7th: Austin Dallas would be killed by Floki. I still feel bad about Jayman's Tributes always dying in Bloodbaths. Austin is strong enough for Floki to target him and he'd die in valiant battle.

6th: Gizmo Torrens would be killed by velociraptors. They're the only mutt smart enough to take him down and it would be wickedly poetic. If Nubu had not developed sufficiently heroically, he would have died too.

Somewhere around here Tori and Jynx would meet and sort of salute each other and agree to wait for a final battle.

5th place: Jynx Susurrus would be killed by a mutt, similarly to in the finished story. I got a mean kick out of him and Tori not getting to fight and it just sort of felt right for him to go there.

4th place: Floki Grimm would die here and I'm not exactly sure how. He's really strong so it would be hard. Probably he'd end up realizing that he wanted to go to Valhalla and that meant he had to die, so he'd pick a fight with some dinosaur. Maybe he'd see Alinta getting menaced and since she's way below his ability he wouldn't want to fight her. Instead he'd throw himself at the dinosaur so it counted as a valiant battle and he'd get to go to Valhalla.

The top three would be my potential Victors. I don't know how it would have turned out, since I really make up my Games as I go along. Any of these three could win, but I'll put them in order of likelihood.

3rd: Alinta Fintan. I loved how realistically 12 Alinta was and I've always been open to a 12-year-old Victor because flukes happen. She could have gotten this far because no one bothered with such a small threat. If I could have found a way I'd have liked her to win. It would have had to be realistic, and that would be difficult. If the meteor had turned out the sun, she might have lived because sponsors sent her stuff and she didn't freeze. If she and Victory were last, she might have done something similar to Haymitch and sent Victory over a cliff. If she and Nubu were the last, they'd probably meet and he wouldn't want to fight, which might be rebellious for a mutt to pick him off. She was a long shot, but I might have done it if it seemed like people were on board.

2nd-1st: Nubu Sanders. When the final votes were getting sent in, I would have been happy either way. I liked Nubu for many obvious reasons. He would have won in a similar fashion, since Tori is stronger and better-trained. It would have had to involve trickery in some way.

2nd-1st: Tori Amarinthine. One reason is that Career Victors should be more populous in my stories and Tori was a good Career. I liked her spunk and she would have been a charismatic Victor for future stories. She had the strength and skill to earn a victory and she was level-headed and constant among some more _unusual_ Careers. I might have had her snipe Nubu from afar, which would be more practical. However, close combat is more dramatic and she more likely would have killed him after a sword and machete fight.


End file.
